Dq 8-1
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DQ8-1responses.docx
1.
The U.S government has a lot of moving parts with over 445 governmental agencies that are listed in the Federal Register. And one would say, there are even more agencies that have not been identified on the register due to national security concerns. The government and public service is deeply interwoven in events and problems that have lasting effect on an entire society. The Founding Fathers devised: the supremacy of states over the national government, the separation of powers, checks and balances, and above all the notion, made explicit in the 10th Amendment that the federal government may only exercise powers specifically enumerated in the Constitution (Scaliger, 2009). A state government has the choice to have the same level of political self-government or let the federal government have direct control.
Anti-government opinion is deeply entwined in our political memory. These opinions are fed by actual events that have occurred, that have created a feeling that the U.S. government operates secretly and manipulatively. I would not necessarily disagree with these opinions, government administrators at times, do make poor choices and decisions that have a ripple effect on how their programs are administered. To mitigate this sediment, public administrators are responsible for using their resource wisely while operating within regulations that are set forth by all levels of government. The practice of public administration involves the dynamic reconciliation of various forces in government’s efforts to manage public policies and programs (Stillman, 2009). Public administrators have an ethical duty to manage and spend tax dollars to the best of their ability. They need to the set the example and understand that the programs they manage are for the greater good.
References
Federal Register. (n.d). Agencies. Retrieved from https://www.federalregister.gov/agencies
Scaliger, C. (2009). Freedom and progress: America’s separation of powers was compelled by a strong distrust of government. Now, however, many Americans believe ’government does it better’--though history warns otherwise. The New American, (14), 10. Retrieved from https://lopes.idm.oclc.org/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=edsgao&AN=edsgcl.203539189&site=eds-live&scope=site
Stillman, R. (2009). Public administration: Concepts and cases. Boston, MA: Wadsworth Cengage Learning ISBN-13: 9780618993017 http://www.gcumedia.com/digital-resources/cengage/2009/public-administration_concepts-and-cases_9e.php
2.
Please compare and contrast public and private organizations. You can identify their similarities and differences.
3.
My first reaction would probably be to agree, there are far too many examples of public officials abusing power and conducting public affairs unethically. This week’s assignment regarding the City of Bell being a prime example (Duggan, 2012). Without selfless individuals such as Ken Hampian, Arne Croce, and Pam Easter there would be little hope for ethical governance. The only way to keep events like this from happening is for questions to be continually asked, in very public ways. This concept is precisely the reason for the First Amendment to the Constitution, ensuring that the government can be held accountable to and by it’s citizens. One need look no further than The Preamble to the Constitution to find the exact role of government “establish justice, ensure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty…” (U.S. Const. Preamble). The Bill of Rights seeks to ensure that government does not overstep these bounds and was included for the simple fact that the framers did not trust government either and they rightly baked in a mild distrust of government.
It takes a special breed of individual to undertake public service and take it seriously. Without individuals that hold this service in high esteem and the attitude of service as opposed to being served government would slowly creep towards totalitarian control.
Resources
Duggan, K. (2012). BELL, CALIFORNIA: Where Our Profession Is Making a Difference: how managers stepped up to help the community recover. Public Management, 94(2), p 16–21.
