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Politics of public service design
Book chapter

Politics of public service design

Christopher L. Atkinson
Handbook Of Public Service Delivery, pp.171-186
Elgar Handbooks in Public Administration and Management, Edward Elgar Publishing
09/19/2024
DOI: https://doi.org/10.4337/9781035315314.00017

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Abstract

This chapter explores the roles of elected officials, political parties, and interest groups in impacting public service design. The public sector environment is fraught with political challenges, competing priorities, and resource limitations, which together affect public service design decisions and outcomes. First, the matter of policy design in the public interest is addressed. The roles of administrators are discussed next to provide context. Elected officials and political parties may feign interest in public participation for short-run gains, but the reality is that public participation in government is limited; some reasons for the limitations are valid, others are less so. For interest groups, involvement is similarly limited beyond single-issue participation, for all but the most involved and highly funded interests. Public participation and co-production rhetoric may serve symbolic functions, instead of allowing for public inclusion and empowerment. The potential of symbol and the spectacle of reform in public policy raise serious concerns with not only the process of involvement in policy design, but in the outcomes of such activities. Still, benefit exists for public involvement in public service design, making its pursuit worthwhile.

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