MPA Students: Human Fire Poppies

The views expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of ASPA as an organization.

By Thomas Barth
February 6, 2026

This past year I had the opportunity to teach MPA students in three different parts of the country, including New Hampshire, North Carolina and Montana. Despite geographic differences and a wide range of professional backgrounds spanning planning, social services, budgeting, law enforcement and administration across government and nonprofit settings, I was struck by the depth of talent and commitment these students bring to their work. They are public servants preparing to lead in a public administration environment that often feels under strain.

As a final discussion board prompt in my foundational public administration course, students were asked to reflect on the current government environment using the following statement from the Clinton and Gore National Performance Review of 1993:

“There are people in America who think any individual who attempts to take responsibility for the common good is hopelessly naïve. There are others who think such actions are dangerously radical. But we are a nation of hopelessly naïve radicals – of people who will not give up the dream of a nation run by its own people.” (As quoted in the closing chapter of the classic public administration text by Rosenbloom, Kravchuck and Clerkin.)

What follows is a sampling of student responses that speak powerfully to the enduring challenges and purpose of public service.

“From my perspective as a professional in a state-funded social service program, I see both sides daily. I witness how federal and local initiatives empower families when systems align, yet I also see how bureaucracy and funding barriers create frustration. As future leaders, our role is to bridge these gaps—to model accountability, transparency, and empathy that keeps hope alive even in uncertainty.”

“As a public administrator, even in my current capacity as an assistant town clerk, I chose this line of work because I believe in everyday people, radically (and perhaps even naively!) so. I won’t lie and say I’m not frequently upset and scared by how our federal government is behaving right now, but I work to turn those feelings into a commitment to do all I can to serve, protect, and enrich the communities I work for. I may be an assistant at the municipal level, but I’m ‘government’ too in that little way and I consider it my duty to reinforce democracy, common good, and public interest however much others try to detract from it.”

“Despite these challenges, local government continue to demonstrate optimism through transparent leadership and community engagement. In this sense, the dream of ‘a nation run by its own people’ endures, reminding us that public administration’s pursuit of the common good remains both a radical and essential act.”

“We remain idealists clinging to self-governance despite overwhelming difficulty. Calling ourselves ‘hopelessly naive radicals’ acknowledges the contradiction: believing in collective action for common good seems foolish given partisan dysfunction, coordination failures, and hyper-pluralism making consensus nearly impossible. Yet abandoning this dream means abandoning democracy itself. The ‘hopeless naivety’ is actually stubborn faith that 330 million people can somehow govern themselves together. It’s radical because taking responsibility for strangers’ wellbeing defies many peoples’ self-interest. It’s hopeless because structure and culture work against it. But we must persist anyway. It is the American dream and one that is under attack.”

“When neutrality is punished and loyalty becomes the priority, the common good suffers. But I still find hope in the quiet, everyday choices of ethical public servants—teachers, clerks, and caseworkers—who keep showing up and doing the right thing. And with likeminded peers in various fields under the umbrella of public servants—I am equally as optimistic that the future is bright.”

“Like any good coffee, ‘the cream rises to the top.’ I believe this is true for leaders and public administrators as well. The most talented, the most intelligent, and the best leaders will inevitably rise to the top. As young and upcoming public administrators, it is our duty to continue to fight and be the voice for the people and the people’s best interest. It is the one who gives up who loses. As some of my classmates mentioned, these challenges should not bring us down, but rather they should be a call to action.”

“The final quote about Americans being hopelessly naive radicals who believe in self-governance captures his message perfectly. It reminds me that it is the easy way out to become jaded and disillusioned with the current function of our political and government systems and that optimism is a necessary trait to work to achieve the goals that our nation was founded upon.”

Words like these from emerging public servants remind us that even when the public administration landscape appears barren, there is still reason for hope. Like fire poppies blooming after a burn, these students represent renewal, resilience and a recommitment to the common good.

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Author: Dr. Tom Barth is a Professor Emeritus in the Gerald G. Fox MPA program at UNC Charlotte. [email protected]

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