ABSTRACT
The basic thrust of the chapter is that empowering civil servants to act on their perceived visions of a greater good is fraught with danger. Empowering bureaucrats can violate a fundamental tenet of democracy by enabling organizations to operate with limited accountability and little oversight, only answerable to themselves. Since the time of Woodrow Wilson, the field of public administration has wrestled with the question of how to balance professionalism with political responsiveness. This chapter contends that zealots can act independently and, in the process, violate fundamental rights. In addition, the chapter maintains that poor oversight can create an environment where individuals in organizations may run amok with little regard for legal protections of others. The goal of this chapter is to remind readers that government representatives may violate ethical norms. Bureaucratic organizations such as the military, the FBI, and local police departments represent examples of organizations that at times have operated with little oversight and have violated basic human rights. The chapter identifies the danger of agencies operating as independent fiefdoms out of sight of the public. To paraphrase Louis Brandeis, sunlight or transparency is the best disinfectant. Democracies survive by exposing abuse and taking remedial action. The ethical question is how to create accountability for powerful public sector organizations.
