Public Problems, Values, and Choices All this material has been 100% Stolen from Phillip Boyle the author of the article Public Problems, Values and Choices, as well as, Dr. John Nalbandian, my former department chair at the University of Kansas.

What Motivates Different Organizations Private Sector – Profit Driven (capitalism!) Non-profit Sector – Mission Driven Government – Value Driven

Political Values Frequently, when we think of values, qualities like honesty, reliability, love and sincerity come to mind. These are values‐‐deep‐seated beliefs that lead to judgments about right and wrong‐‐ but they have to do with individuals and how we lead our lives individually. Political values influence public policy development as opposed to the lives of the individuals who make policy. The primary political value in our culture is responsiveness of governmental officials to public wants and needs. The value of responsiveness is reflected in demands for representation, efficiency, individual rights, and social equity.

Four Public Values Boyd (article) Nalbandian (PM Guru) Liberty Equality Community Prosperity Individual Rights Social Equity Representation Efficiency

Liberty/Individual Rights Boyd (Article) Nalbandian (PM Guru) Freedom, choice, and individuality. Having personal freedom, expressing yourself as an individual, and making your own choices and decisions free from coercion or constraint. Citizens are granted legal rights that protect them from arbitrary decisions by those who govern— both elected and appointed officials. These rights may be expressed in ordinances, statutes and laws, and the constitution. Property rights and civil rights fall into the broader value of individual rights.

Equality/Social Equity Boyd (Article) Nalbandian (PM Guru) Equity, fairness, and justice. It means feeling that you are treated fairly, that you have equal rights and opportunities, that your vote counts as much as everyone else’s. Frequently, citizens are treated as members of groups rather than individuals. Sometimes we classify people as veterans, disabled, African American, female, senior citizen rather than as Jose, Mary, Rita and Jacob. As group members they expect treatment equal to members of other groups. And, they compare their treatment with that given to members of other groups. For example, people living in one neighborhood expect to receive a level of government service similar to that received in other neighborhoods; older neighborhoods might expect more service.

Community/Representation Boyd (Article) Nalbandian (PM Guru) Encompasses safety, security, and social order. It means feeling connected to and sharing a sense of belonging with people where you live and work. It means feeling safe and secure, and having a decent quality of life. This is the deep-seated belief that government answers to the will of the people through elected representatives. The wishes of the citizens should be represented in governing bodies. If a public policy is going to have an impact on a group of citizens, that group should have the opportunity to be heard.

Prosperity/Efficiency Boyd (Article) Nalbandian (PM Guru) Efficiency, economy, and productivity. It means being able to support yourself and your family, having resources available to meet your physical needs, and using resources productively and efficiently. Citizens expect government to be run prudently. This is achieved through cost-consciousness and rational, analytical decision making and through an emphasis on expertise and professionalism, planning and merit.

Four Public Values Boyd (article) Nalbandian (PM Guru) Liberty Equality Community Prosperity Individual Rights Social Equity Representation Efficiency

Examples (Local) Theatre Hotels Special Events Representation, Efficiency Hotels Social Equity, Individual Rights Representation, Social Equity Special Events

Takeaways No value is always more important than another Values are often inherently contrary to one another The word politics has gotten a bad rap. The most fundamental and crucial version of politics is the negotiation of these values by elected leaders on behalf of who or what they represent. That’s called doing politics and it’s crucial to democracy. When an elected body tends to always favor one value over the other is typically when substantial electoral upheaval occurs (the pendulum swings). Public issues or problems are many times solved on the basis of values, not facts.