Analysis of Post
I personally find the notion of postmodernist, post-bureaucratic democracy extremely refreshing; it seems as though the networked component of post modern government organizations permit a more centralized, committed approach by a select number of people dedicated to the task, as opposed to dumping the responsibilities onto a strictly hierarchical structure that can mean more people have more on their plate. This can lead to shortfalls in action taken; by compartmentalizing projects, more immediate action can be taken by groups focused on those positions alone. The post-bureaucratic model’s per-project financial compensation mentioned is also a much better usage of taxpayer dollars, as it more concretely ensures that people are paid based on tangible results, instead of being merely legacy payments.
Shafritz and Hyde (2011) note that the postmodern movement in government “claims that relationships between and among government bodies, constituencies, and the environment are what is critical” to governance (p. 564). This falls in perfectly with the notion of networking projects, as it allows for the capacity for more intimate communication between public administrators and the constituencies their project serves. By permitting closer input and greater accessibility to the people directly responsible, projects can more closely reflect the needs of the people. Denhardt and Denhardt (2011) note that, in this New Public Service, the chief ideas revolve around working most towards the public interest, treating the public’s needs as paramount over the self-interest of those in charge of public administration. To that end, I believe networked, postmodern governance falls in line with the New Public Service ideal, given its ability to bring constituents closer to decision makers by making those decision makers fewer and more clearly delineated.
References
Abels, M. Module 2A; Postmodernism or post bureaucratic organization.
Denhardt, J.V., & Denhardt, R.B. (2011). The new public service: serving, not steering. M.E.
Sharpe.
Shafritz, J.M. & Hyde, A.C. (2011). Classics of public administration (7th ed.). Cengage
Learning.
