Social Equity and the Responsible Administrator: The Challenge of Equity in Public Policy Initiatives

Abstract

Social equity is a normative value in the field of public administration; however, policy guidance and associated funding rules are often rooted in values of equality. This perspective explores the conditions under which a public administrator’s professional responsibility to social equity goes beyond a program’s requirements for equality-based outcomes. This mismatch often results in extraneous efforts on the part of the administrator to implement creative solutions above and beyond what is funded and required by bureaucratic guidance. Realigning program rules and providing sufficient funding with an eye for equity will provide responsible public administrators with sufficient resources for success.