Toward a Reconciliation of the Bureaucratic and Democratic Ethos

Abstract

This article attempts to reconcile the dominant ethical frameworks in public administration: the bureaucratic ethos and the democratic ethos. To do so, the article begins by recasting the debate between the two ethos as a modern-day manifestation of the historic and ongoing debate between utilitarian and deontological ethics. It next shows how the principle of the universalizability of ethical rules can be derived from both utilitarian and deontological theory. Finally, it shows how the principle of universalizability can be used to reconcile the two ethos in the context of the public interest.

The Virtues of Administration: Values and the Practice of Public Service

“…the possibility of a public administration ethos that could reconcile the values of bureaucracy with the values of democracy (Gawthrop 1997;Woller 1998). In fact, a growing body of literature has set out to identify the range of values that are associated with excellence in public service, as well as how these "public service values" can be more effectively integrated into the administrative systems and institutional structures of public organizations (Bozeman, 2007;Kernaghan, 2003;van der Wal, 2008;Van Wart, 1998).…”

Reconciliation Model of Transparency Value and Bureaucracy Secretion in Management of Local Government Budget

“…Bureaucracy is no longer survive in the name of "keeping secrets countries/regions" in providing public information, and the public was no longer require excessive bureaucracy to make a protest/demonstration anarchic causing development outcomes that there is actually ransacked by the masses. This is because as said by Ralph Nader in Moller (1998) that information is the currency of democracy (Information is the currency of democracy) is that democracy can not work if there is no open information flow as the economy can not run if there is no the money).…”

The Power of Bureaucracy

“…The complex and uneasy relationship between democracy and efficiency should be acknowledged and the coexistence of both democracy and efficiency is of great significance. Using the principle of the universality of ethical rules which come from both utilitarian theories to reconcile bureaucracy and democracy (Woller, 1998). The reconciliation between bureaucracy and democracy will help to build a "good society" (without poverty, corruption, and widening gap between the rich and the poor) (Waldo, 1952), in which the knowledge, capability, morality, and accountability of bureaucrats are important.…”