Social equity is concerned with the distribution of government services and resources, as well as the effect of such allocation to the citizens. The proper distribution of services has the potential o not only enhance the economic well-being of the people but also their political power. This is particularly of importance to populations that are underrepresented. Accordingly, local leaders have the capacity to influence policies such that more opportunities for growth are opened up and the deleterious effects of poverty and other barriers to development among disadvantaged communities are overcome. While the operationalization of social equity is ostensibly simple and could potentially result in numerous beneficial outcomes, a majority of public administrators tends to focus on efficiency in governance in terms of saving resources and time. As a result, the implementation of social equity is not prioritized with the consequent failure of underrepresented communities to thrive.
Literature Review
Wooldridge and Bilharz (2017) argue that issues of inequity are at the crux of public frustration and policy debates regarding various societal problems. Unequal access to education and health, broadening income gaps, and social and racial tensions are central to public policy discourses. Accordingly, an understanding of the context of social equity within specific communities provides an opportunity of leaders to minimize inequalities in society. In a study to determine the reason behind local leaders’ preference for efficiency over social equity, it was found that local administrators often implicated elected officers in their inability to implement social equity. While elected leaders are expected to serve the interests of all members of the community, it has long been determined that certain members of the electorate receive preferential treatment. In a similar study by Fernández-Gutiérrez and Van de Walle (2018), it was asserted that top public officials were more inclined toward efficiency. The study further showed the differences in the administrative culture across countries. The assertions of public officials are a reflection of those held by the electorate and as such, the contextualization of administrative values is unquestionable (Fernández-Gutiérrez & Van de Walle, 2018). While elected and appointed officials should work collaboratively to serve the interests of their constituents, professional staff and politicians have different perspectives which further compound the challenges associated with the operationalization of social equity and decision-making (Frederickson, 2015). Even though previous research has been dedicated to elucidating broader public administration and equity issues, Hamiduallah et al. (2015) posit that the underpinning mechanisms including decision-making styles and value differences in the public sector necessitate further consideration.
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Research Hypothesis
The values of local leaders and their perceptions of social equity can result in policies and laws geared towards the protection and support of certain groups within a society while sidelining others.
Research Design and Methodology
This will be a qualitative study. Interviews will be conducted with local elected leaders from five different municipalities. City websites will be used to obtain the contacts of these leaders. Participants will then be reached via mail. No compensation will be provided to the subjects. The interviews will be semi-structured. They will follow a narrative format and last about an hour. Thirty elected officials will be interviewed. The interviews will be recorded to facilitate the analysis and identification of patterns within each respondent’s narrative. For the purposes of recording, each participant will sign a consent form. The elected leaders will be asked to share extensively about their approaches to community conflict, their decision-making strategies, and their conceptualization and utilization of social equity.
Possible Results and Conclusion
Local elected leaders with positive perceptions and a better conceptualization of social equity will incorporate it more in their decision-making strategies. Contrarily, those with misconceived ideas or inadequate understanding of social equity and its significance will tend to give responses that are suggestive of partiality in their policymaking processes. It will this be concluded that local leader’s perceptions of social equity significantly determine the effectiveness of their policies in eliminating inequality.
References
Fernández-Gutiérrez, M., & Van de Walle, S. (2018). Equity or Efficiency? Explaining Public Officials’ Values. Public Administration Review , 79 (1), 25–34. https://doi.org/10.1111/puar.12996
Frederickson, G. (2015). Social equity and public administration: origins, developments, and applications . Armonk, N.Y.: M.E. Sharpe, Inc.
Hamidullah, M. F., Riccucci, N. M., & Pandey, S. K. (2015). Women in City Hall. The American Review of Public Administration , 45 (3), 247–262. https://doi.org/10.1177/0275074013498464
Wooldridge, B., & Bilharz, B. (2017). Social Equity: The Fourth Pillar of Public Administration. Global Encyclopedia of Public Administration, Public Policy, and Governance , 1–10. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-31816-5_2383-1
