“Every election is determined by the people who show up,” 

Larry J. Sabato 

As social animals, we clamor for what benefits us and our community. We create, encourage, accept and invite
inventions, projects, initiatives, advocacies, and among others that directly contribute to the betterment of the public as
a whole and conversely, we reject, discourage, and criticize those that tramples societal growth and development. This
coming election inhibits the concept of public value and how it can contribute to the effective, efficient and responsive
delivery of service to the public. But before elaborating election as one viable example, it is ethical to explore and grasp
the very concept of public value and its relationship to public service.

Public value in layman’s term is what the public “values.” If I were a kid for example, my eyes are more drawn to
amusement parks or toys rather than library or books because it is what I value. And if I value such things, that means
that I will do my best effort to attain what I value and reject whatever it is that discourages me from doing so. This
example can be stretched further to fit what public value means specifically. Society is like an ecosystem wherein, every
individual person, organizations, and the government work hand-in-hand in contributing a valuable asset for the public
to grow. In reality, we value environmental growth thus we buy more sustainable and eco-friendly products; we value
economic change hence we entertain local products, apply for job, invest, and participate to any economic scheme; we
also value political integrity thus we participate to election to put in power those who will promise quality public service.

The merits/rights of being able to vote is given to us to practice by our constitution and it is therefore, our
obligation to fulfill that duty. But whoever is in position, we expect them to do their outmost effort in establishing
principles originated from our collective aspiration. Thus, as a voter, a constituent, and as a citizen of a democratic
country, we have the ability to scrutinize, monitor, criticize, and call out any blatant governmental action that is
irrelative to what we collectively value. This is why there are rallies, mass protest, legal petitions, and we have direct
representation from the government. Public value in general is something (1) we collectively have consensus on; (2) it is
ethically and politically acceptable; (3) it renders positive outcome; and (4) it is useful and necessary. And through these,
we help mold what kind of public service we want the government to provide. Whenever they show blatant actions that
disgraces the value that we publicly carry, we reject them (it has the same approach as the natural selection proposed
by Charles Darwin).

But how exactly? The regime of president Rodrigo Duterte for example. When he begun his war on drugs and
strengthened police power through this virtue, we applauded it for in its pilot operation, the result was promising. It has
contributed to the decrease of crime rate and was able to compromise underground drug market. However, war on
drugs was abused, and Extra-Judicial Killing took place which go against the public value. With this value in mind, we
rallied to halt the war on drugs operation. Another example is the pandemic response of Duterte’s administration. The
public value is regarded to increasing medical practitioners’ salary, to prioritizing pandemic response rather than
focusing on taking down Duterte’s critics, to transferring funds in improving and expanding hospitals that can cater
COVID patients, and to calling out those who corrupt the funds originally meant in buying surgical mask, Personal
Protective Equipment (PPE), mass testing, etc. Through this value that we collectively share, we are able to influence,
mold, and choose what kind of services we want the government to render, reject those that we do not want leaving
only those services that are efficient, effective, and responsive to us.

Public value can never be the value of only one person. Public value requires legitimacy and support from other
people. Anything that we value, in the context of public value, must always represent the general public, must be FOR
the common good, must always create a positive outcome, and can mobilize assets that enables the society to grow.
Public value does not devise an “efficient public service”, rather, it encourages one to always choose efficiency
otherwise, no one will support that value and will eventually be rejected. In the end, we fulfill what we value when we
directly participate to it. We are able to elect the people who shares the same value once we choose to vote and we are
able to encourage efficiency, effectiveness, and responsiveness of public service only when we choose to care.
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Well-developed
introduction engages
the reader and Introduction
creates interest. Introduction adequately explains Background details are a
Contains detailed creates interest. the background, random collection of
INTRODUCTION background Thesis clearly states but may lack information, unclear, or
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Thesis Statement clearly states a Conclusion states the position. Thesis is vague or
Conclusion significant and effectively Conclusion is unclear.
compelling position. summarizes recognizable and Conclusion does not
Conclusion effectively topics.   ties up almost all summarize main points.
wraps up and goes loose ends.
beyond restating the
thesis. 

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Supporting examples related to the Three or more
points, and/or poor
are concrete and thesis, but one may main points are
MAIN POINTS development of ideas.   
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effective point-of- view using some
view, showing the details.
story in detail.

Logical progression of
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ideas with a clear
ORGANIZATION of ideas.  Organization is No discernable
structure that
Structure Transitions are clear. Transitions organization.  Transitions
enhances the thesis. 
Transitions present equally are present.  are not present. 
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throughout essay.
mature and graceful.