Woodrow Wilson Essay

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As many scholars before him and many after him, Woodrow Wilson was a reformist, in that, he endeavored to change the way the government operated (Buck, Cox, Morgan, p. 5). He demanded the efficient operation of the government. He was actually one of the first politicians who specifically asked for efficiency. It was during the Progressive Era, a time of major change. Developments in trade and working conflicts were on the rise as well as the demand for services provided by government. All of this change happening so quickly also jumpstarted an increase in corruption and a continuing loss of values among the people. The spoils system, introduced by President Andrew Jackson, was prevalent. Per the spoils system, party loyalists were given administrative jobs regardless of qualifications or training. This combination of things prompted Wilson to question the development of the government in terms of handling these changes so as to maximize efficiency and utilization of resources. He analyzed the then current power regime, found them lacking in skill and corruptible, and offered suggestions to better the system and prevent future corruption. In response to the spoils system, Wilson demanded that there be a separation of politics and administration which he hoped would liken the government to corporations. With ‘The Study of Administration’ (1887), Wilson supplied the first published essay on public administration and established himself as a foremost authority in this field. In this essay, Wilson publicly launched the idea of government as administration. In some ways, Wilson blamed democracy for the rampant decline of government going on at the time. He says, “We have enthroned public opinion; and it is forbidden us to hope during it... ... middle of paper ... ...e toward serving as opposed to profits. It served hundreds of millions of people with strict ideals of what they’d like from their government in return for their payment of taxes. The government was held accountable like no other business has ever been or will be. He held that the separation of politics and administration was impossible. He argued that civil servants could not just implement policy. The very process of government was employee-oriented. Society was changing rapidly during this time. Governmental changes and expansions had occurred during the Great Depression and World War II (Svara, p. 47). Modern ideas sometimes rendered current laws useless thus, the very concept of government needed to change to keep up. Civil servants, too, needed to keep up and become agents of change when needed. Waldo argued that efficiency was not an ideal but only a service.

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