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Article
William Robertson: Exemplar of Politics and Public Management Rightly Understood
Public Administration Review (2007)
  • Terry L Cooper, University of Southern California
  • Thomas A Bryer, University of Central Florida
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.

Keywords
  • neighborhood councils,
  • bureaucratic responsiveness,
  • leadership
Publication Date
2007
Citation Information
Terry L Cooper and Thomas A Bryer. "William Robertson: Exemplar of Politics and Public Management Rightly Understood" Public Administration Review Vol. 67 Iss. 5 (2007)
Available at: http://works.bepress.com/thomasbryer/6/