Gawthriop argues that in the early stages of the formation of the United States, there was limited distinction between policy making and the art of governing. However, the elected officials had a deep commitment to their work and were deeply devoted to their work. Gawthrop also reasons that the framers of the constitution had a mindset that was alien to those of the framers of the constitution. Perhaps the distinction in the level of commitment amongst the early leaders of the United States sprang from the belief of a “divine mission” and the establishment of the new country was led by God. While the puritans had a deep commitment to their religion as a source of their morals, the framers of the United States constitution for a secular document grounded on the basis of democracy.
The pronouncement that the United States was a built on a secular base instead of Christian base and that the success of the United States was viewed by many as contingent upon an operational set of ethical moral values and virtues. These virtues included concepts such as trust, loyalty, benevolence, unselfishness amongst others.
Gawthrop argues that accomplishing a mature sense of ethics requires establishing a clear-cut dichotomy between politics and administration, as well as between policy formulation and policy implementation. Another element pivotal to the success of an effective public service is the presence of a professional career service that creates a permanent administrative class. Lastly, establishment of a science of administration would play a critical role in the attainment of success. Still, if one would like to develop a mature sense of ethical consciousness, found in the professional domain of public service, there are things that are axiomatic. It is important to be understood that there is such a thing as value-neutral. In every situation, values are pervasive in the ways we handle issues. Second, it is important to also that every public service or program implemented has a direct effect on the lives of other people. The responsibility for the effect of this decision made is the responsibility of the people making that call. Contemporary scholars in public management and policy formation have favored a slightly lose structure compared to the traditional model of public management.
Moral and political knowledge is the preamble of ethics and morality in a society. Without political knowledge, rationality would be hard-nut to crack. The relativity of truth is not a theoretical insight but a moral postulate, the condition of a free society, or as they see it, here truth is diverted from the original conception of higher being as the source of truth and reason; instead the fundamental American value of equality takes the principle of logic and ration. American societal ethics and its codes would that be arguably a function of Natural Law and slow transformation to accept relativity of truth, and solidified by the supreme law of the land that advocates for equality of mankind.
Value free means that the philosophy is not influenced by the society’s pressure. In essence, it is ethically neutral. However, values have some objectivity. Therefore, values depend on people’s evaluation and analysis of situations. Values are morally relative. Stepping out of the constraint of values require moral pluralism. Secondly, from this class, I understand that previous knowledge of an individual an affect the way an individual or a society can see in that the inference sometimes can borrow greatly from the opinions. In real meaning, previous knowledge can instill value, affect methodology and generate ideology. With all these available, there is likelihood that the conclusion could be one sided, a mere experiment to justify an already existing theory and this could be objective. In the end effective public administration policy, is a delicate balancing act that requires the understanding of people’s wishes as well as the needs of the citizens.
References
Gawthrop, L. (1998). Public Service and Democracy: Ethical Imperatives for the 21st Century Public Service and Democracy: Ethical Imperatives for the 21st Century. Chatham House Publishers: Chatham House Publishers.
