Many people consider private sector business leaders to be some of the best candidates for public office. 20th century political philosopher, Paul Appleby, addressed this thesis in his study Big Democracy.
In many ways, the government of the United States is designed to be businesslike. In the implementation of public policy, the government strives to use business principles of efficiency and effectiveness to promote swift administrative action. The government is not, however, like any other corporation in existence – as Paul Appleby explains in Big Democracy - “Government is Different”. There is no other institution whose every action is held fully accountable to the public. Furthermore, no institution other than the government simultaneously deals with such a wide scope of issues and people. Appleby explains the difference quite well in his statement that politics exists within most institutions, but “government is politics”.
Appleby’s overall argument is indeed valid, but his explanations seem to be convoluted and frequently backtracking upon themselves – at least for the first half of his discussion. He suggests that individuals with excellent records in the private sector will not always make effective government officials, but then admits that the organizational and executive experiences of business help to groom effective public officials. According to Appleby, large business provides the executive with more experience than that of small business. While this is almost undoubtedly true, it is a bit of a moot point. Logically, a larger, more encompassing business would provide the leader with more executive experience in dealing with public interest. The necessity for a “sense of action” in high positions of government is mirrored by the same necessity in a business executive – another similarity rather than a difference. One could infer that effectiveness of a government official depends more on the skills of that particular person, rather than whether or not he or she has a business background. In discussing the differences between government officials and business officials, Appleby does a much better job of highlighting their similarities.
Appleby much more adequately draws up the differences between the actual entities of government and private businesses. Industry exists solely for profit, without a great deal of energy and resources spent on public interest. Government, on the other hand, exists specifically to promote and protect public interest. No private institution encompasses anywhere near the breadth of government’s activities or is held so publically accountable; every action that the government undertakes is open to public scrutiny, debate, and investigation. A private institution is not as dependent on the will of the public beyond that of market demand, and certainly does not have an equal “appeal and concern” for all individuals. Government is fundamentally different from private business because it is far broader than any other entity – it must consider the heterogeneous will of the public. In the recurring words of Paul Appleby, “Government is different because government is politics.”
Appleby’s distinction is not at all inaccurate, but it merely seems like common knowledge that most people likely already comprehend. It is blatantly obvious to say that government has businesslike qualities, but is fundamentally different from a private business. The fact that government is interwoven with the political culture of the United States is the essential reason that it is distinct from business. While politics may exist within businesses – especially large corporations – politics permeate and blend seamlessly with the “business” of government. Looking past Appleby’s long-winded language, perhaps the best public administration-oriented point to take away from this study is that a business executive can be effective with managerial skill and sense to take action, but these traits in addition to a sense of public interest and responsibility are all required of effective government officials.
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