Paul Appleby's Essay: The Politics Of Government
Intro to Public Administration
10/7/10
The Politics of Government
When one looks at government today, it is very easy to see the role that politics play. From the shift of calling government officials public servants to the much more common and accurate term of politician, we can see the evolution of the public’s view of the practice over the years. However, looking back to before this shift occurred, we can see the that this idea was discussed and it was in Paul Appleby’s article, “Government is Different.” Written in 1945, this article follows the end of World War II and preceded what was to become known as the Postwar Era. The article was also written during the The New Deal to Mid-Century period of Public Administration, which …show more content…
He says that there may be times one it is more desirable for people to hold a government position and that during these times more people may come forward in order to gain these positions. During these times, we must look past those that only show interest during the popular times and find those that have had an interest in government through the more fortunate times and the less fortunate ones as well. The reason being that those who are interested solely for factors such as “patriotism, desire for adventure, or other considerations…” will be unqualified for government work. He feels that those that don’t normally and consistently have an interest in government will not be good candidates and holds that this is especially true for upper-bracket positions. However, there are also positions in government that would require similar qualifications as those outside of government and therefore candidates for these positions could be reviewed interchangeably. This is found to be true in lower-bracket jobs such as “charwomen, elevator operators, messengers, clerks, and typists.” Even in these positions, Appleby still feels that those in these positions that prefer to work in the public sector would be the better fit for the position. Overall, the desire to be a public official is a key element in actually making a desirable public
10/7/10
The Politics of Government
When one looks at government today, it is very easy to see the role that politics play. From the shift of calling government officials public servants to the much more common and accurate term of politician, we can see the evolution of the public’s view of the practice over the years. However, looking back to before this shift occurred, we can see the that this idea was discussed and it was in Paul Appleby’s article, “Government is Different.” Written in 1945, this article follows the end of World War II and preceded what was to become known as the Postwar Era. The article was also written during the The New Deal to Mid-Century period of Public Administration, which …show more content…
He says that there may be times one it is more desirable for people to hold a government position and that during these times more people may come forward in order to gain these positions. During these times, we must look past those that only show interest during the popular times and find those that have had an interest in government through the more fortunate times and the less fortunate ones as well. The reason being that those who are interested solely for factors such as “patriotism, desire for adventure, or other considerations…” will be unqualified for government work. He feels that those that don’t normally and consistently have an interest in government will not be good candidates and holds that this is especially true for upper-bracket positions. However, there are also positions in government that would require similar qualifications as those outside of government and therefore candidates for these positions could be reviewed interchangeably. This is found to be true in lower-bracket jobs such as “charwomen, elevator operators, messengers, clerks, and typists.” Even in these positions, Appleby still feels that those in these positions that prefer to work in the public sector would be the better fit for the position. Overall, the desire to be a public official is a key element in actually making a desirable public