Why Public Administration

There are a lot of challenges these days to the work of those involved with public administration, mainly at the Federal level with DOGE but also creeping down into states and perhaps localities. This is not a post about the Federal government workforce, but the “why” of public administration. Take the local level, where I spent the majority of my career. Our collective why in our county workforce - “because we can make a meaningful impact on our community.” Other common answers - “to make a difference,” “to serve my neighbors and friends,” “to make a lasting impact for generations,” and so on. We could see every day the tangible impacts of our civic-minded, resident-focused work. Services rendered, care taken, safety maintained, order sustained, the rules of law upheld, and smiles produced (not always, of course). Infrastructure, parks, trails, yes - but also services for those kids needing special attentive care, and palliative/Hospice care for our most vulnerable, dying residents. Our why answers were diverse, but they were, and are today, centered on compassionate service.