Notes

Public administrators are accountable to political superiors. Doesn’t this imply that they
are responsible solely for following mandates granted from those who are elected to
represent the “will of the people”? Public administrators are followers not leaders.
Public administrators follow laws and regulations. Public administrators follow the will
of elected chief executives and elected legislators. Public administrators follow the
election returns. Public administrators are cogs in the machinery of government. Public
administrators are mechanical transmission belts. Public administrators merely transmit
the emotional energy imparted to them from above, making no additional contribution to
the total effort. What they see, hear and feel is irrelevant to implementing the “will of the
people.” Only elected political officials have the right to lead. Public administrators are
not the equivalent of Chinese kings. What right, you might ask, do unelected public
administrators have to lead? Wouldn’t this open the door to administrative tyranny and
arbitrariness? Is it ethical for public administrators to see themselves as “leaders” in
governance? According to Harvard professor Robert Behn (1998), leadership is not
merely a right of public administrators. It is a necessity:
Leadership from [public administrators] is necessary because without leadership
public organizations will never mobilize themselves to accomplish their mandated
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purposes. Leadership from [public administrators] is necessary because the elected
chief executive can provide leadership for only a few of the many agencies and
programs for which he or she is responsible. Leadership from [public
administrators] is necessary because the legislative branch of government gives
public agencies missions that are vague and conflicting and often fails to provide
enough resources to pursue seriously all of these missions. Leadership from [public
administrators] is necessary because a narrow interest can easily capture a public
agency and redirect government programs for their own gain. Leadership from
[public administrators] is necessary because the citizenry often lacks the knowledge
and information (or will) necessary to perform its responsibilities.