In a system discredited by political corruption, the notion of ‘bureaucratic neutrality’ was presented during the Progressive era as strategy to restore legitimacy in government. However, bureaucratic neutrality also served as a barrier to equity in government. This book argues that neutrality is a myth that has been used as a means to oppress marginalized communities, largely disconnected from its origins within the field of public administration. A historical perspective of how the field has understood race and gender demonstrates how it has centered whiteness, masculinity, and heteronormativity in research and administrative practices, mistaking them for neutrality in public service.
Using a historically grounded positionality approach, the authors trace the myth of bureaucratic neutrality back to its origins and highlight how it has institutionalized inequity, both legally and culturally.
Ultimately, the authors demonstrate that the only way to move towards equity is to understand how inequity has become institutionalized, and to constantly work to improve our systems and decision making. With constituents across the globe demanding institutional changes in government that will establish new practices and mediate generations of inequality, The Myth of Bureaucratic Neutrality is required reading for public administration scholars, practitioners, and students.
Author(s): Shannon K. Portillo, Nicole Humphrey, Domonic A. Bearfield
Publisher: Routledge
Year: 2022
Language: English
Pages: 121
City: New York
Cover
Endorsement
Half Title
Title Page
Copyright Page
Table of Contents
Acknowledgments
1 Introduction
Recovering From the Flood
Myths, Not Lies
Defining Bureaucratic Neutrality
The Public Administration Identity
Summary of Book
Works Cited
2 Identity in Public Administration
Social Equity as the Foundation
Identity in Public Administration
Gender and Feminist Theory in Public Administration
Race in Public Administration
Heteronormativity and Queer Theory in Public Administration
Accounting for Multiple Identities
Intersectionality in Public Administration
Historically Grounded Positionality as a New Framework
Conclusion
Works Cited
3 The Myth of Merit
Merit and the Protestant Work Ethic
Merit as Deservedness: Who Deserves to Be a Public Servant
What Whites Deserve: Segregation and the Federal Service
The 1940s and 1950s: Redefining Merit as a Means of Exclusion
Altering the Expectations of Merit
A More Inclusive Meritocracy
The 1960s and 1970s: The Compatibility of Merit and Equity
The Merit-Equity Dichotomy
Conclusion
Works Cited
4 The Myth of Representation
Representative Bureaucracy Scholarship
Implicit Problems With the Logic of Representation
White Men as Objective and Neutral
The Burden of the Historically Marginalized
Viewing Representative Bureaucracy in Reverse
What Is the Alternative?
Conclusion
Works Cited
5 The Myth of Legal Remedies
Legal Progress in the United States
The Rise of Legal Remedies as a Foundation for Equity
The Critique of Legal Remedies
The Long Shadow of Legal Remedies as Solution to Overt and Subtle Discrimination
Conclusion
Works Cited
6 Moving From Myth to Reality
The Past in the Present
The Role of Identity in Public Administration
Historically Grounded Positionality
Conclusion
Works Cited
7 Learning From the Myths of Our Past
Understanding the Myths of Our Past
Myths Explored So Far
Myths Left to Explore
Historically Grounded Positionality in Public Administration
Opportunities in Scholarship and Practice
Moving Forward With Equity
Pursuing Equity in Public Administration Teaching
Holding Those Responsible for Inequity Accountable
Grounding Scholarship in Identity
Continuing Onward Toward Recovery
Works Cited
Index
