My Understanding of the Public Sector and Public Service

Introduction

This paper discusses my understanding of public sector prior to entering CSULA’s Masters of Science in Public Administration program (MSPA), by examining the unique circumstances involved in administering public organizations while studying different techniques of public management. The courses in the program fulfilled my understanding of public sector, and how I perceive the profession of public service now that I have completed the MSPA program.

My Understanding of Public Sector

Upon entering the MSPA program, my assessment of the public sector was limited to the subjects studied while obtaining my Bachelor’s degree in Political Science, my professional experience as an appointee public servant, and experiences in public schooling. As political science major, I understood the foundations of political theory as conveyed in the works of Immanuel Kant, John Locke, Thomas Paine, Adam Smith, Thomas Hobbes and others, and also had a fundamental understanding of the conflicts and shared responsibilities between local, state and federal governments.

In the past, my understanding of the public sector was extremely limited; I did not understand how policies, and laws were actualized and affected budgeting and public sector management. While in public schools I witnessed and suffered through limited resources such as layoffs of staff, furloughs, and tuition increases. My initial reaction to the limitation in resources was to blame “the government”; yet the MSPA opened the doors in providing the information I was unaware of and provided specific issues regarding the organizational public management.

Other assessments of the public sector evolved from my professional experience working with the City of Inglewood as an appointe...

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... skills I know are necessary to be. As a "field of inquiry with a diverse scope" its "fundamental goal... is to advance management and policies so that government can function (Vasu, Stewart & Garson, 1998).

Conclusion

Prior to the MSPA program, I had an undeveloped understanding of public service. The MSPA program helped me understand how public service operates and also helped me develop the skills needed to become an aware and competent public servant. The skills that are vital to any public servant is management, planning and budgeting. I conclude by noting that, in the public sector in particular, managers are obliged to manage with self-conscious reflection on the public interest involved. I see public servants as to become ethically mature administrators, sensitive to the responsibility incurred in managing public organizations and willing to ask questions.