Public Administration Globally
The views expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of ASPA as an organization.
By Deborah T. Johnson
September 26, 2020
Photo credit: Shane A. Hooks (my seven-year-old son)
Woodrow Wilson was known as the, “Father of public administration.” Recognizing public administration in an article written in 1887, he was the 28th president, an American politician and led the United States through World War I (1914-1918). Wilson, who was big on patriotism, world peace, democracy and global affairs, was a strong member of the democratic party who garnered an impressive liking for public administration. Not shy of managing the League of Nations and bargaining arrangements with Germany regarding the Treaty of Versailles—a major function which in essence, brought World War I to an end—he ushered in international relations. To say the least, Wilson was quite active and a standing figure globally as he made decisions that ultimately affected other nations. He has left legacy in history that led to historical changes in women’s voting rights and middle class reform. He was a leader who supported unions and the people in general.
Public administration is a field that many avoid. Whether it is because of the low pay, difficulties in personal career advancement or that most argue this field is just too political, public administration does give leaders the advantage to serve communities in the most effective and notable ways. It allows leaders to bring forth the common good of community issues, implement changes that will benefit citizens and help shape the future. As a public administrator, leaders are equipped with knowledge and skills that will help them manage different levels of local, state and federal governments globally. This also includes non-profit organizations, as they too are quite similar to government agencies. The globalization of public administration has opened doors and led an immense army of industry-driven opportunities for leaders.
It has given rights to both the citizens and civil servants to be vocal, giving sight to issues and allowing for talks of solutions among all parties. The United States has not been shy in openly dealing with major challenges in both the past and current presidential administrations. Scandals and issues have plagued the United States presidential administrations and other nations as well. With that, has come talks of presidential impeachments, a push for larger voter turnouts and politicians being overthrown by the lesser of two evils, so-to-speak, among all leaders nationally. I believe over decades the quality and purpose of many politicians and leaders has become somewhat watered down with their own agendas, ideas and theories. I believe many are not really for “the people” and will say what they feel just to reel in more votes. Woodrow Wilson stated, “The ear of the leader must ring with the voices of the people.” When you think about it, how true and genuine is that? Spanning over other countries, many leaders function with emotions, and emotions run parallel to many of the politicians and leaders’ personalities. This destroys the concepts and values that many of the leaders fought and pushed for years and decades prior.
The American Society for Public Administration (ASPA) is an organization established in 1939 that came about after issues related to ethics and management. ASPA is comprised of civil servants, professionals and public administrators who have studied and or focused their career and education on the implementation of government or public policy. The global public administration allows for a very accommodating field that spans over many topics. Public administration has become extremely diverse in education, and social and ethnic backgrounds, among other areas. Globalizing public administration has allowed for an ever-changing and ever-challenging competitive demand among local, state and federal governments to reinvent, innovate, become more transparent and essentially understand the true practice and theory of the field. ASPA has established and presented ethics and values that are easy to understand and in a broad scope, should be practiced among public servants.
Each country is different and operates in a different capacity based on its citizen’s needs, country’s needs, economy, trade agreements and items produced. However, one thing is for sure, public administration is a field needed worldwide. Influenced laws, accountability among leaders, strong ethics, professionalism and a vision to lead a country to its full potential are some expectations that voters are pushing for. Also, voters have fought for decades over having equal voting rights across the board. Honesty, integrity, loyalty, fairness, lawfulness and concern for the common good of citizens all play a major part in the decision to elect politicians and leaders globally. These are all qualities that each public servant should consider when stepping into a position where complete transparency is necessary.
Author:
Deborah T. Johnson, MPA
Administrative Professional with the City of Houston/Houston Public Works
Executive Master Public Administration/Public Policy, Texas Southern University, Houston, Texas
Bachelor of Applied Arts and Sciences, Lamar University, Beaumont, Texas
Associate of Applied Arts and Sciences, Houston Community College, Houston, TX
Photo credit: Shane A. Hooks (my seven-year-old son)
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Public Administration Globally
The views expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of ASPA as an organization.
By Deborah T. Johnson
September 26, 2020
Photo credit: Shane A. Hooks (my seven-year-old son)
Woodrow Wilson was known as the, “Father of public administration.” Recognizing public administration in an article written in 1887, he was the 28th president, an American politician and led the United States through World War I (1914-1918). Wilson, who was big on patriotism, world peace, democracy and global affairs, was a strong member of the democratic party who garnered an impressive liking for public administration. Not shy of managing the League of Nations and bargaining arrangements with Germany regarding the Treaty of Versailles—a major function which in essence, brought World War I to an end—he ushered in international relations. To say the least, Wilson was quite active and a standing figure globally as he made decisions that ultimately affected other nations. He has left legacy in history that led to historical changes in women’s voting rights and middle class reform. He was a leader who supported unions and the people in general.
Public administration is a field that many avoid. Whether it is because of the low pay, difficulties in personal career advancement or that most argue this field is just too political, public administration does give leaders the advantage to serve communities in the most effective and notable ways. It allows leaders to bring forth the common good of community issues, implement changes that will benefit citizens and help shape the future. As a public administrator, leaders are equipped with knowledge and skills that will help them manage different levels of local, state and federal governments globally. This also includes non-profit organizations, as they too are quite similar to government agencies. The globalization of public administration has opened doors and led an immense army of industry-driven opportunities for leaders.
It has given rights to both the citizens and civil servants to be vocal, giving sight to issues and allowing for talks of solutions among all parties. The United States has not been shy in openly dealing with major challenges in both the past and current presidential administrations. Scandals and issues have plagued the United States presidential administrations and other nations as well. With that, has come talks of presidential impeachments, a push for larger voter turnouts and politicians being overthrown by the lesser of two evils, so-to-speak, among all leaders nationally. I believe over decades the quality and purpose of many politicians and leaders has become somewhat watered down with their own agendas, ideas and theories. I believe many are not really for “the people” and will say what they feel just to reel in more votes. Woodrow Wilson stated, “The ear of the leader must ring with the voices of the people.” When you think about it, how true and genuine is that? Spanning over other countries, many leaders function with emotions, and emotions run parallel to many of the politicians and leaders’ personalities. This destroys the concepts and values that many of the leaders fought and pushed for years and decades prior.
The American Society for Public Administration (ASPA) is an organization established in 1939 that came about after issues related to ethics and management. ASPA is comprised of civil servants, professionals and public administrators who have studied and or focused their career and education on the implementation of government or public policy. The global public administration allows for a very accommodating field that spans over many topics. Public administration has become extremely diverse in education, and social and ethnic backgrounds, among other areas. Globalizing public administration has allowed for an ever-changing and ever-challenging competitive demand among local, state and federal governments to reinvent, innovate, become more transparent and essentially understand the true practice and theory of the field. ASPA has established and presented ethics and values that are easy to understand and in a broad scope, should be practiced among public servants.
Each country is different and operates in a different capacity based on its citizen’s needs, country’s needs, economy, trade agreements and items produced. However, one thing is for sure, public administration is a field needed worldwide. Influenced laws, accountability among leaders, strong ethics, professionalism and a vision to lead a country to its full potential are some expectations that voters are pushing for. Also, voters have fought for decades over having equal voting rights across the board. Honesty, integrity, loyalty, fairness, lawfulness and concern for the common good of citizens all play a major part in the decision to elect politicians and leaders globally. These are all qualities that each public servant should consider when stepping into a position where complete transparency is necessary.
Author:
Deborah T. Johnson, MPA
Administrative Professional with the City of Houston/Houston Public Works
Executive Master Public Administration/Public Policy, Texas Southern University, Houston, Texas
Bachelor of Applied Arts and Sciences, Lamar University, Beaumont, Texas
Associate of Applied Arts and Sciences, Houston Community College, Houston, TX
Photo credit: Shane A. Hooks (my seven-year-old son)
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