ABSTRACT
This chapter explores the interconnectedness of workforce diversity, representative bureaucracy, and public policy outcomes. Particular attention is given to the important role of front-line workers (street-level bureaucrats) and their use of administrative discretion in shaping public policy development and implementation. As a concept, workforce diversity evolved from programmatic efforts in the areas of equal employment opportunity and affirmative action. It has its origins in the language included in the 1978 Civil Service Reform Act which called for a public sector workforce “reflective of the Nation’s diversity” and served as an impetus for advancing a more inclusive (liberatory) public service. Workforce diversity remained an agreed-upon goal until recently, when increasing challenges to diversity, equity, and inclusiveness (DEI) emerged at all levels of government. We examine the implications of these challenges through the lens of the Lilliberation framework, offering strategies to ensure that workforce diversity continues to be a priority in public administration.
