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Public managementhas undergonea revolution.Rather focus on their responsibilityto serve and empower citi-
than focusing on controllingbureaucraciesand delivering zens as they managepublic organizationsand implement
services, public administratorsare respondingto admon- publicpolicy. In otherwords,with citizens at the forefront,
ishmentsto "steerratherthanrow,"andto be the entrepre- the emphasis should not be placed on either steering or
neursof a new, leaner,and increasinglyprivatizedgovern- rowing the governmentalboat,butratheron buildingpub-
ment.As a result,a numberof highlypositive changeshave lic institutionsmarkedby integrityand responsiveness.
beenimplementedin thepublicsector(OsborneandGaebler
1992; Osborne and Plastrik 1997; Kettl 1993; Kettl and
Dilulio 1995; KettlandMilward1996;Lynn 1996). But as RobertB. Denhardtis a professorin theSchoolof PublicAffairsat Arizona
State Universityand a visitingscholarat the Universityof Delaware.Dr.
thefield of publicadministration hasincreasinglyabandoned Denhardtis a pastpresidentof theAmericanSocietyforPublicAdministra-
the idea of rowingandhas acceptedresponsibilityfor steer- tion,and thefounderand firstchairof ASPA'sNationalCampaignforPublic
Service,an effortto assertthedignityand worthof publicserviceacrossthe
ing, has it simply tradedone "adminicentric" view for an- nation.He is also a memberof theNationalAcademyof PublicAdministra-
other?OsborneandGaeblerwrite,"thosewho steertheboat tionand a fellowof theCanadianCentreforManagementDevelopment. Dr.
Denhardthas published14 books,includingTheoriesof PublicOrganiza-
have far more power over its destinationthan those who tion,PublicAdministration: An ActionOrientation,Inthe Shadowof Orga-
row it" (1992, 32). If thatis the case, the shift fromrowing nization,ThePursuit of Significance,ExecutiveLeadership in the PublicSer-
vice, andTheRevitalization of the PublicService.He holdsa doctoratefrom
to steeringnot only may have left administrators in charge the Universityof Kentucky.Email:rbd@asu.edu
of the boat-choosing its goals anddirectionsandcharting JanetVinzantDenhardtis a professorin theSchoolof PublicAffairsat Ari-
a pathto achievethem-it mayhavegiventhemmorepower zona StateUniversity. Herteachingand researchinterestslie primarilyin or-
to do so. ganizationtheoryandorganizationalbehavior. Herbook(with LaneCrothers),
Street-Level
Leadership: Discretion
and Legitimacy in Front-Line
PublicService,
In our rush to steer, are we forgetting who owns the was recentlypublishedby the GeorgetownUniversity Press.Inaddition,Dr.
boat?In theirrecentbook, GovernmentIs Us (1998), King Denhardthas publishednumerousarticlesin journalssuchas Administration
and Society,AmericanReviewof PublicAdministration, PublicProductivity
and Stiversremindus of the obvious answer:The govern- andManagement Review,andPublicAdministration Theoryand Praxis.Prior
ment belongs to its citizens (see also Box 1998; Cooper to joininghe facultyat ArizonaState,Dr.Denhardttaughtat EasternWash-
ingtonUniversity and servedin a varietyof administrative
and consulting po-
1991; King, Feltey, and O'Neill 1998; Stivers 1994a,b; sitions.Sheholdsa doctoratefromtheUniversity of SouthernCalifornia.
Email:
Thomas 1995). Accordingly,public administratorsshould jdenhardt@asu.edu
Administration
550 Public 2000,Vol.60, No.6
Review* November/December
Administration
552 Public 2000,Vol.60, No.6
Reviewa November/December
TheNewPublic
Service:
Serving
Rather
thanSteering553
service," or "no, we can't," the New Public Service sug- unconstrainedand authenticdiscourseconcerningthe di-
gests thatelected officials andpublic managersshouldre- rection society should take. Based on these deliberations,
spond to the requestsof citizens not just by saying yes or a broad-basedvision for the community,the state, or the
no, but by saying, "let's work togetherto figure out what nationcanbe establishedandprovidea guidingset of ideas
we're going to do, then make it happen."In a world of (or ideals) for the future.It is less importantfor this pro-
active citizenship, public officials will increasingly play cess to result in a single set of goals than it is for it to
more than a service delivery role-they will play a con- engage administrators,politicians, and citizens in a pro-
ciliating, a mediating,or even an adjudicatingrole. (Inci- cess of thinking about a desired futurefor their commu-
dentally,these new roles will requirenew skills-not the nity and theirnation.
old skills of management control, but new skills of In additionto its facilitatingrole, governmentalso has
brokering,negotiating,and conflict resolution.) a moral obligation to assure solutions that are generated
2. Thepublic interestis the aim, not the by-product.Public throughsuch processes are fully consistentwith normsof
administrators must contribute to building a collective, justice and fairness. Governmentwill act to facilitate the
shared notion of the public interest. The goal is not to solutions to public problems, but it will also be respon-
find quick solutions driven by individual choices. sible for assuringthose solutions are consistent with the
Rather, it is the creation of shared interests and shared public interest-both in substanceandin process. In other
responsibility. words, the role of governmentwill become one of assur-
The New Public Service demands that the process of ing thatthe public interestpredominates,thatboth the so-
establishinga vision for society is not somethingmerely lutions themselves and the process by which solutions to
left to elected political leadersor appointedpublic admin- public problemsare developed are consistentwith demo-
istrators.Instead, the activity of establishing a vision or craticnormsof justice, fairness,andequity (Ingrahamand
directionis somethingin whichwidespreadpublicdialogue Ban 1988; Ingrahamand Rosenbloom 1989).
anddeliberationarecentral(BrysonandCrosby1992;Luke In short, the public servant will take an active role in
1998; Stone 1988). The role of governmentwill increas- creatingarenasin which citizens, throughdiscourse, can
ingly be to bringpeople togetherin settings thatallow for articulatesharedvalues and develop a collective sense of
Administration
554 Public 2000,Vol.60, No.6
Review* November/December
TheNewPublic
Service:
Serving
Rather
thanSteering555
556 Public
Administration 2000,Vol.60, No.6
Review* November/December
TheNewPublic
Service:
Serving
Rather
thanSteering557
Administration
558 Public 2000,Vol.60, No.6
Review* November/December
TheNewPublic
Service:
Serving
Rather
thanSteering559