Most American citizens are quick to criticize federal bureaucracy
for its size and inefficiency. They assume it has exceeded the
intent of our nation's founders; yet men like James Madison and
Alexander Hamilton knew that good public administrators were
essential to good government.
William Richardson here examines the origins, legitimacy, and
limitations of public administration from the perspective of the
Founders' thought. He shows that these men -- especially the
authors of The Federalist -- advocated an energetic public
administration as an essential component of government and even
considered the emergence of a "natural aristocracy" of virtuous
civil servants. The Founders would see the fault of today's federal
bureaucracy, argues Richardson, not as much in its size as in the
character of its members.
Richardson relates the Founders' belief that the nation should
strive to produce public servants committed to developing character
traits, such as wisdom and moderation, that would exemplify the
highest ideals of the republic and thus ensure its survival. They
anticipated some self-interest on the part of administrators, but
believed it would be held in check by public opinion and the
political process.
To test the success of the Founders' ideal, Richardson examines
both the character of administrators and the role of ethics in
forming that character. He explores the various plans for educating
public leaders throughout American history and looks at how
attitudes toward public administration have changed in this
century, from Woodrow Wilson's scientific ideal to recent proposals
to downsize government. Among other suggestions, Richardson
advocates reforming existinginstitutions by emphasizing
character.
Democracy, Bureaucracy, and Character is an exercise in
legitimizing public administration, offering important insights
into the Founders' thoughts that can be applied to today's debate
over government bureaucracy. Public administration may be
problematic by nature, observes Richardson, but it is crucial to
our form of government. Through his analysis we can see that, while
bureaucracy and democracy have long had an uneasy relationship,
neither can be effective unless we fully assess the place and
purpose of character in the American regime.
"Thoughtful and cogent throughout, this book excels in
explaining the philosophical basis of the Founding Fathers'
constitutional craftsmanship. An important addition to the growing
literature on the constitutional foundations of public
administration". John A. Rohr, author of To Run a Constitution
"A commendable study that well exemplifies the tremendous
expansion of the concerns of public administration in the past half
century". Dwight Waldo, author of The Enterprise of Public
Administration
"A wise and thoughtful book that will be of great interest to
officers of government, policy analyst, and citizens". Ralph
Ketcham, author of Framed for Posterity: The Enduring Philosophy of
the Constitution
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