The Great Paradox of Democratic Citizenship and Public Personnel Administration
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 10396797 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Eugene B Mcgregor, Richard A Sundeen, Richard Sundeen |
| Year | 1984 |
| Volume | 44 |
| Pages | 126-126 |
| Publication date | 1984-03-01 |
| Open Access | No |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Public Administration Review (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0033-3352 • E-ISSN: 1540-6210 |
| Publisher | Wiley (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.2307/975552 |
| OpenAlex | W2328356569 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 8 |
That democracy and professional public service are potentially inimical is one of the supreme ironies of government and public affairs. The problem appears to have been discovered by Woodrow Wilson. I It has worried students of public affairs ever since 1887.2 The problem is simply stated: In democracies the governors and the governed are indistinct; an unmanipulated public both makes and obeys its own laws.3 Such a seemingly bland statement has profound implications. It means that public opinion controls both governance and the direction of public policy. It subordinates administrative activity to civic choice. But is the operating presumption true? At present, the self-governance goal appears unachievable without the connivance of career public officials. Indeed, a paradox emerges: Public affairs has, in many instances, become territory managed by careerists (broadly defined to include all those who have spent a career working on public affair problems); yet the democratic scheme requires that careerists cheerfully place themselves at risk by educating and sustaining an often querulous public. Why the paradox exists and how democratic civism can be achieved through public service reform is the subject of the following sections
Administration (probate law · Citizenship · Democracy · Political science · Politics · Law · Political Influence and Corporate Strategies · Public Administration · Public Policy and Administration Research
City Planners and Public Service Motivation
The Two Faces of Progressive-Era Professions
Administrative Practice and the Waning Promise of Professionalism for Public Administration
The Relevance of Publicness in an Era of Democratic Backsliding
Administrative Responsibility Revisited
Reconciling Public Entrepreneurship and Democracy
Of Citizenship, Virtue, and the Administrative Imperative
Technological Citizenship
| Citations per year | 0.22 |
|---|---|
| Citation span | 1990 - 2025 (36) |
| Highly cited | No |