This week we’d like to highlight an excellent article referencing Polarities of Democracy by William Clements, Ph.D. that appeared in the PA Times in April 2019 — a publication of the American Society for Public Administration (ASPA). Dr. Clements is a Professor of Criminal Justice and Psychology at higher education institutions. He possesses a Bachelor of Science Degree in Justice Studies, a Master of Science Degree in Forensic Psychology, and his doctoral degree is in Public Policy and Administration. He has served in the field of public service for 11 plus years and is a well-read enthusiast for topics of economics, politics, homeland security, and most of all, public policy.
ASPA is the largest and most prominent professional association for public administration. It is dedicated to advancing the art, science, teaching and practice of public and non-profit administration and dedicated to:
- Promoting the value of joining and elevating the public service profession.
- Building bridges among all who pursue public purposes at home and internationally.
- Providing networking and professional development opportunities to those committed to public service values.
- Achieving innovative solutions to the challenges of governance.
Below is an excerpt of the article:
The Far-Reaching Impacts of Work on Democracy
Life in the democratic world is currently marked by polarized issues such as freedom and authority, justice and due process, diversity and equality, human rights and communal obligations, and last but not least, participation and representation. Currently as public administrators, we are hard-pressed to view the aforementioned issues as hardships stemming from an evolving democracy; however, maybe this is not the case. What if the issues that we are experiencing are not complications of democracy? What if democracy was the solution?
An article published in the Journal of Social Change by Dr. Bill Benet has posited that the hardships being experienced in America’s “democracy” are actually polarities wherein the tension needs to be leveraged.
An article published in Forbes examined the hardships encountered in worker motivation levels at many companies. It is terribly difficult to motivate and inspire adults when they are being treated like children and motivated by the principles of fear. This association not only adds to high levels of occupational stress experienced by employees, but also to negative experiences outside of the workplace which will likely influence family relationships, recreation, economic opportunities and the employees’ health outlooks. When I think about the experience of working a middle-class job in America, certain associations are implied such as time clocks, tardy slips, quotas and performance evaluations. To sum up my interpretation of the modern workplace, I would liken it to the master-slave dialectic.
Read the full article here:
