William Robertson: Exemplar of Politics and Public Management Rightly Understood

Keywords

neighborhood councils; bureaucratic responsiveness; leadership

Abstract

William Robertson, director of the City of Los Angeles' Bureau of Street Services, is profiled here as an exemplary public administrator. The authors suggest that Robertson practices politics appropriately in his role in order to achieve great outcomes for his bureau, the citizens with whom he works, and the city as a whole. To adequately define the ways in which Robertson uses politics, Sherry Arnstein's "ladder of participation" is reconceptualized as a circle of participation in which Robertson uses multiple strategies of interaction with citizens, elected officials, employees, and peers. Lessons for public administrators are offered based on Robertson's example.

Date Created

January 2007

https://works.bepress.com/thomasbryer/6/download/

Share

COinS