When some look at politics and administration they see opposing views that should not overlap, but others see two individual concepts that work together cohesively to solve problems. Politics looks at policies and issues within a group, and administration has to do with the execution of the policies; which makes these two concepts inseparable. Without administration, politics would remain stagnant and policies would never be put into motion to solve issues. But not everyone had these same views.
Beginning with the founders in 1787 there was the opinion that the government had too much power and the law should reign supreme, called the Madisonian Perspective after James Madison. Madison said the government was to be “administered by men, over men,” showing the need for a just government to control the governed. Then, when America began to modernize and the administration began to raise new issues around 1887, Woodrow Wilson brought about the Wilsonian Perspective that aimed to separate administration from politics and make the government more businesslike. He wanted there to be two governing functions: political decision and administrative action. Henri Fayol and Frederick Wilson Taylor were highly impactful among the Wilsonian Perspective. They believed in productivity and thought the administration could be more productive when removed from politics. Then, after World War II we move into the Rooseveltian Perspective of government where people begin to realize they must possess political skills to be successful in the public sector.
These thoughts bring in the story of Michelle Rhee, the first chancellor of the District of Columbia’s Public Schools. She was hired in 2007 by Mayor Flenty to reform the school system ranking among the lowest in the nation. She knew she didn’t have much time so she began right away with interviewing principals and reviewing the teachers. Her message to them was clear; raise test scores or you’re fired. She showed how serious she was at the end of the year when she fired almost 900 employees, including teachers, principals, teaching aids, and central office employees. After this exclamation she was met with the politics of the school board and community backing them.
She had to defend herself against angry parents and officials but she kept her ideas clear; she was going to give the children of the community a more cohesive place to learn no matter the consequences. In order to possess the authority required to fire central office employees she felt weren’t properly doing their job she had to reach out to the city counsel and start lobbying for votes. She got just enough to do what had to be done and that is how she became more than a school chancellor, but a political figure as well. This shows how politics and administration work together to get things done. Obviously, just being a part of the administration was limiting Rhee’s goals as chancellor and she needed the help of politicians in her area to get the job done. Backed by mayor Flenty, she was able to raise scores and make some of the more unregulated schools a better place for the students and faculty.
Most people didn’t see the need to close schools and rework the core educational goals within the school system, but Rhee saw students that needed more opportunities for success. She knew that the infrastructure already in place was failing for these kids and she was willing to do whatever it took to give them what they deserved. When she started, graduation rates were below 50% and by the time she ended her reign as chancellor that number had grown exponentially. Rhee is a great example of why separating administration and politics simply doesn’t work.
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In the first two chapters of Managing the Public Sector by Grover Starling we have talked a lot about the importance of policies and policymaking. These policymakers need resources, external support, and professionalism to succeed. They need people to believe in what they’re doing in hopes of gaining monetary sponsorship, camaraderie with fellow political leaders, or just a vote. To reach these objectives, one must obtain good political strategies and pair them with management strategies to get the job done.
Bibliography
Starling, Grover. Managing the Public Sector. 9th ed. Belmont, CA: Cengage Learning, 2010. Print.
