Issues and Dilemmas of Contemporary Public Administration - Essay Example

Issues and Dilemmas of Public Administration Issues and Dilemmas of Public Administration Public interest can be defined as the general wellbeing of the public. This is where the whole society, and not just selfish individuals, matter. They, therefore, warrant protection, promotion and recognition from the government. Administrative responsibility comes from the fact that those in charge of the welfare of individuals in society are supposed to ensure that the public gets their fundamental rights.

It is their job as people in higher positions of power to ensure that everyone gets treated right and just with accordance to the law (Nichols, 2010). Public administrators are, therefore, bound to these roles by certain ethical rules. As they make decisions, they have to take into account the rules that bind them to ensure they serve the people well. This paper will review some of the responsibilities and obligations that bind public administrators. Also, the dilemmas they usually face when politics is involved in the running of the business.

Administrative responsibility lies with the fact that leaders are supposed to serve the people on a lower level. The problems that arise when they are in charge are often seen with the way they handle their business. Some ethical problems that they face arise mostly from morality. Many public administrators are mostly consumed by sex scandals (Kumar, 2005). These issues create a very bad image for the people that surround them, especially their family. Most people voted into office are chosen based on their family standings and values.

A family man is likely to be chosen into office than a person who does not have a family. The public would like to be involved in the running of their daily business. On matters concerning them, they would want to be involved in policy making to address their problems, and how to solve them. However, policies are passed without their consent, and this leaves very many unhappy parties. Public administration is all about putting public interest first (Stllman, 2009). This, nowadays, is not applicable especially with the involvement of higher political influence in the administration.

Public administration has been politicized. There is no telling how deep the influence in these offices goes. Misbehaviour among public administrators can cause the greatest harm to the public. The loss of respect from the public would render any public office useless. This is because the office is considered morally unfit to function (Kumar, 2005). Calls for resignation might come in from everywhere since nobody wants to be associated with a morally unfit office or leader. This ethical issue has seen the call for many public administrators to step down, and pave way for more eligible people for the job.

The involvement of politics in public administration has made people confused. They are confused since they do not get to clearly apprehend and understand the roles of public administrators. This is so mostly because they seem to be controlled. The term used to describe such administrators is ‘puppet on strings’. The problem with puppets on strings is that they cannot fully have power over the issues they implement. These policies are usually from the politicians and do not have the public interest at heart (Stillman, 2009).

The recent trend of privatizing government functions has led the public to realize that their interests are far from their leaders’ minds. There are some reasons, far from the expected, that make one see that these reasons do not have anything to do with the public. One of the reasons could be the need to do illegal things (Chowdhury, 2006). The government privatizes these functions to prevent public outcry about the wrong things they might be doing. The problem with such dealings is that they usually come out, and cause unrest.

Another reason would be the need to gain deniability. Governments can deny responsibility for any wrongdoing after the problem has blown up in their face (Chowdhury, 2006). The problem usually comes around when the injustice carried out affects the people, and may cause harm to them. An example that could go with this is torture. The capture and torture of prisoners of war and crimes has been an issue that seeks to rise especially in the United States. The privatization of the military is also a problem that has seen the public protest over the years.

In conclusion, the obligations that surround the public administrators and their offices have a long way to go before they give the people what they want. The need to privatize government functions has also been a problem that needs to be addressed (Chowdhury, 2006). If this does not happen, then public interest will not be achieved any time soon. The obligations of these public offices need to stand on their own without interference so that their policies get to help and look out for the public’s needs.

References Chowdhury, F. L. (2006). Corrupt Bureaucracy and Privatisation of Tax Enforcement. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Kumar, P. R. (2005). Public Administration: Problems and Perspectives. London: Sage Publishers. Nichols, R. (2010). Pros and Cons of Privatizing Government Functions. New York: Free Press. Stillman, R. J. (2009). Public Administration: Concepts and Cases. New York: Macmillan Publishers.