Diversity and Equity in American Public Administration

Diversity and Equity in American Public AdministrationEquity and Diversity in Public Administration

IntroductionThis course focuses on two basic concepts as it relates to public administration:Equity DiversityTwo lenses by which to look at these values:Externally.Internally.Sources to view these values:Policies and statutesUnited States Supreme Court decisionsAcademic journal articles

American Political CulturePolitical Culture the characteristics and deep-seated beliefs of a particular people about government/politics.What are some of these values?libertyequalitypopular consentindividualismunitydiversity

American Political CultureLiberty principle that individuals should be free to act and think as they choose, provided they do not infringe unreasonably on the freedom and well-being of others.Where does this come from?Declaration of IndependenceUnalienable rightsConstitutionRestrictions of governmentEquality all individuals are equal in their moral worth, are entitled to equal treatment under law, and should have an equal political voice.Declaration of IndependenceWe hold these truths to be self-evident that all men are created equal.

American Political CulturePopular consent people are the ultimate source of governing authority. (popular sovereignty)We the People of the United States of AmericaWhat does this have to do with diversity and equity?Individualism commitment to a personal initiative, self-sufficiency, and material accumulation.Individualism can promote diversity, but it may break down equality.Why?Unity Americans are one people and form indivisible union.Diversity the principle that individual and group differences should be respected and that these differences are a source of strength.

What is the Purpose of This Course (or Why Take This Course?)To learn more about other cultures, races, ethnicities, and backgrounds of your fellow coworkers and the public you serve.To learn how knowledge of equity and diversity affects the quality of the delivery of services to an increasingly diverse community.Traditionally, public administration education does not have one course focused on equity and diversity, though it is part of the mission of NASPAA.

Diversity in the Public Administration Context

Traditional Public Administration Theory, Diversity and EquityClassic Public Administration TheoryWilson and Weber emphasizes:NeutralityObjectivityIrrelevance of personal and demographic characteristics of public administrators.Top-down management.Centralization of authority.Other classic theories and practices:Organizational culture (formal and informal)ConformityTechnical rationalityControlEmphasis on process

Representativeness and Public Administration in the Modern ContextDiversity respect for individuals of different characteristics such as color, race, ethnicity, gender, age, religion, sexual orientation, or way of thinking.Diversity differing cultures, languages, ethnicities, races, sexual orientations, religious sects, abilities, classes, ages, and national origins of individuals in an institution, workplace, or community.Why is it necessary?Diversity in public administration mirrors the diversity in the population.Diversity in public administration provides a work environment that is open to a variety of lifestyles and ides.Diversity in public administration eliminates the good old boys network (similar characteristics, similar values).Diversity allows administrators to deliver public services more effectively.The changing population demographics have an effect on:Who delivers public servicesHow public services are deliveredTo whom public services are delivered

Representativeness and Public Administration in the Modern ContextWhat problems does the absence of diversity cause?Equity-based argumentsA homogeneous organization creates injustice by excluding segments of society simply because they are different.Solution:MulticulturalismConsumerist-based argumentsA homogeneous organization creates stifles the ability to solve problems as public administrators of a single set of characteristics gave a limited ability to solve the complex problems of a diverse citizenry.Solution:Shared leadership approachOther argumentsLack of efforts to promote diversity may cause:Adverse employee relationsEmployee retention problemsEmployee turnoverDifficulty in employee hiringTypes of diversityIdentity diversity differences based on demographics, ethnic, and cultural backgrounds as well as training and experience.Functional diversity differences in how individuals solve problems.

Representativeness and Public Administration in the Modern ContextRepresentativenessPassive representation the mirroring of societys diversity in organizations.Active representation ensuring that representation is meaningful in terms of influencing decision making with the organization.Helps to alleviate the problem of centralized management, centralized authority, and the cultural norm of conformity (see classic public administration theory).Potential pitfalls:Stereotypes (i.e., they act as voices of a particular group).Administrators with no real influence.

I would hope that a wise Latina woman with the richness of her experiences would more often than not reach a better conclusion than a white male who hasnt lived that life - Justice Sonia Sotomayor

Diversity in a Changing SocietyThe PopulaceThe population of the United States is becoming more diverse.Soon minorities will become a majority over whites.The Created NeedA diverse populace creates the need for:Diversity of organizationsDiversity of competenciesBetter serving a diverse population.Within fifteen years, 36 percent of the local government workforce, 34 percent of state government, and 39 percent of the federal workforce will retire.

What does diversity mean for public administration?When diversity is well managed, all workers are valued and included.Managing diversity improves productivity.Diversity alone is not enough.Accountability and incentives are important.Support and involvement must be broadened.Diversity programs differ from EEO and affirmative action efforts.There is no one way to manage diversity.

Diversity ObjectivesSee pgs. 300 301 in Chapter 14.

Equity in the public administration Context

EquityEquityEquity all individuals are equal in their moral worth, are entitled to equal treatment under law, and should have an equal political voice.Political equality the requirement that all citizens have the right to vote and that all votes count equally.Social equity the fair, just, and equitable management of all institutions serving the public directly or by contract; the fair, just, and equitable distribution of public services and implementation of public policy; and the commitment to promote fairness, justice, and equity in the formation of public policy.

EquityThe Declaration of Independence did mention equality, albeit in a limited way:We hold these truths to be self-evident that all men are created equal.The 14th AmendmentEqual Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment:Nor shall any statedeny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.

Equity and DiscriminationWhat do we mean by discrimination?Governments and legislation treats people or groups differently all the time.Examples:Some individuals pay more or less taxes depending on income.Those that are less than 18 cannot vote or enter legal contracts.Only men are required to register for the draft.College admissions.Do these types of discrimination violate the requirement of equal protection under the 14th Amendment?No.What kind of discrimination is wrong then?Invidious discriminationWhat does that mean?It is discrimination that is arbitrary or capricious.The government cannot discriminate on an arbitrary characteristic.Is a law that makes it illegal to sleep under a bridge or suffer a $500 fine discriminatory?

Discrimination and the Supreme CourtRational Basis:The burden here is on the challenging party to show that the state action or law does not serve a legitimate, rational government purpose.Intermediate scrutiny (heightened scrutiny):Says that the government law or action must be substantially related to an important objective.Used for genderCraig v. Boren (1976)Strict scrutinyHere the burden falls on the state to show that when a law targets a suspect classification the state must show two things:There is a compelling state interestThat the state is accomplishing the goal through the least restrictive meansWhat is a suspect class?The class of individuals must be subject to legal disabilities.There must be a history of purposeful unequal treatment.They must be relegated to a position of political powerlessness.

What does equity mean for public administration?Public administrators need to think about whether the policies that they are creating follow the required legal guidelines to ensure equity among the citizenry (procedural equity).Public organizations and managers need to ensure that they treat their employees equitably or risk violating the law (managerial equity).Public organizations need to ensure that their procedures (rulemaking/adjudication) are applied equitably to all clientele (Due Process or procedural equity).Public organizations need to ensure that policies are implemented equitably (equitable implementation).Public organizations need to ensure that the delivery of services is done in a manner to promote equity.Public organizations need to ensure that access to the organization is fair and equitable.Public organizations should seek input equally from members of the community from all backgrounds.Public organizations should promote a culture that promotes responsibility, innovation, and cost awareness through cultural competence (opposite of classic public administration theory).

Teaching Equity and DiversityTeachers Value SystemsTeachers arent neutral in their value systems, the readings they select, and the ideas they impress upon their students.What does it mean that I am teaching this class as a white male if anything?What does it mean if we dont have diversity in faculty in public administration as a whole?AssignmentsTextbooksStudentsA diverse student body:Brings an array of views into the discussion on equity and diversity.Demonstrates that there are differing viewpoints between students of various backgrounds.