Rediscovering the Heart of Public Administration: the Normative Theory of in His Steps
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REDISCOVERING THE HEART OF PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION: THE NORMATIVE THEORY OF IN HIS STEPS Susan Wharton Gates Dissertation submitted to the Faculty of the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Public Administration and Public Policy Orion F. White, Jr., Chair Charles T. Goodsell Joseph V. Rees Garrett W. Sheldon James F. Wolf May 1, 1998 Falls Church, Virginia Copyright 1998, Susan Wharton Gates Rediscovering the Heart of Public Administration: The Normative Theory of In His Steps Susan Wharton Gates (ABSTRACT) Public administration literature lacks richness and context regarding the moral history of the founding of the field in the early 1900s. As a result, current calls for “recapturing the soul” of public administration have failed to stimulate a theory—or even a working understanding—of how to “rehydrate” the observed desiccation of public life and revivify the concept of the public interest. In correcting the historical record, this dissertation shows that the “soul” of public administration stemmed from the field’s deep roots in the social gospel movement of the early 20th century. For that short period, the nascent field was not viewed as a bastardization of constitutional order, but as a noble endeavor in which beloved sons and daughters participated in their nation’s governance. As a representative character of that era, Charles M. Sheldon serves as an exemplar of a citizen administrator whose sojourn into the public square was characterized by deep faith, empathy for the common person and commitment to action—regardless of the personal cost. His optimism, innovation and creativity stand in sharp relief to today’s dispirited and over-regulated public work force. Sheldon’s best-selling book, In His Steps (1896), stands as a pre-modern parable for moral decision-making in a dynamic and uncertain postmodern environment. In allowing for uncertainty, discourse and experimentation, the book’s operative question, “What would Jesus do?” enriches our understanding of normative theory as process. It also offers back the field’s lost “soul” in the way of submission, empathy, covenant, grace and hope. Acknowledgments Take a house full of love, a few great friends, a decent computer and strong coffee— and there’s no telling what you can do. My deepest thanks to: Peter—for gifts of silver and flowers in exchange for so many late and lonely nights Lara and Logan—for letting Mommy go back to school Mom and Dad—for reading me “The Little Engine that Could” and then showing me how David and Betsy—for being there and cheering me on Valerie—for trusting, knowing it would all work out Nancy—for loving words, poems and stories as much as I do Tammy—for those zany emails (where do you get all those things?) And to: The fantastic academic community at Tech: Orion White, Jim Wolf, Charles Goodsell, Joe Rees, John Rohr and all the middle-aged students who can’t get enough of life’s learning. I pass the mantle of ultimate stress to you, Ann. It’s worth it. Garrett Sheldon, for sharing memories of his great-grandfather, Charles Sheldon, and for making that long, rain-drenched drive from Big Stone Gap. Timothy Miller, Sheldon biographer at the University of Kansas, for access to his thick files, and to the people of First Congregational Church, Topeka, Kansas. I hope you continue following in His steps. Betty Winternitz, for the use of her blue bedroom while cranking out papers in Blacksburg. The folks at Freddie Mac, for dealing with my erratic career path over the past six years. Susan Drake, the people of Tangier and the public servants who really listened, for daring to take hold of the future—for all our sakes. Sweet Sammy and the nearly-born who kicked her way through this dissertation, for the life you show us how to live and for the promise you hold. And, finally, to the One who sings in the night and succors the weary. All my heart, everything. iii Contents CHAPTER 1 - OVERVIEW..............................................................................................1 The Religious Strand .............................................................................................4 Normative Theorizing............................................................................................6 Summary..............................................................................................................11 CHAPTER 2 - STRATEGY AND APPROACH.............................................................13 Representative Characters....................................................................................15 Religion ...............................................................................................................17 Fiction..................................................................................................................19 Summary..............................................................................................................23 CHAPTER 3 - THE PROBLEM AND THE LITERATURE...........................................25 The Literature ......................................................................................................29 Summary..............................................................................................................34 CHAPTER 4 - THE HEART OF PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION....................................35 Love Constitutional Style.....................................................................................35 A Wounded Faith.................................................................................................41 Rise of the Social Gospel.....................................................................................47 Moral Burden of Progressivism ...........................................................................50 Love Lost .............................................................................................................51 Summary..............................................................................................................53 CHAPTER 5 - CHARLES M. SHELDON: CITIZEN ADMINISTRATOR ....................54 Summary..............................................................................................................76 CHAPTER 6 - THE ENDURING LEGACY OF IN HIS STEPS.....................................78 Low Literary Value; High Moral Value ...............................................................78 Impact..................................................................................................................84 Influence ..............................................................................................................88 Summary..............................................................................................................90 CHAPTER 7 - TOWARD A NORMATIVE THEORY ..................................................92 In the Middle of Things .......................................................................................92 Why Jesus? ..........................................................................................................94 Normative Theory as Process...............................................................................95 Submission ..........................................................................................................99 Empathy.............................................................................................................101 Covenant............................................................................................................105 Grace..................................................................................................................106 Joppolo’s Heart for Administration ...................................................................108 Summary............................................................................................................110 CHAPTER 8 - FROM TOPEKA TO TANGIER...........................................................111 CHAPTER 9 - CONCLUSION .....................................................................................123 RESOURCES................................................................................................................125 iii Chapter 1 - Overview From its founding as a self-conscious activity in the early 20th century, the field of public administration has struggled to reconcile the dual roles of politics and administration. Are public administrators simply managers and implementers—or should they, like elected officials, have a special relationship with and affinity for the people? Are they Men of Reason, using tools, technique and technology to “fix” the nation’s problems—or should they be listening, engaging and empathetic public servants? Such are the questions of normative theory. This tension is not the administrator’s alone; rather, it is a reflection of the incommensurable elements built into the American experiment known as a constitutional republic. The audacious notion that the republican ideals of civic virtue, public participation and concern for the common good could survive in a constitutional structure resting on self-love and self-interest continues to reverberate through administrative history. While both republican and constitutional streams run deeply through American soil, time and time again, the constitutional view has held dominant sway. We see inklings of the tension in the nation’s two