Transcending Government

Public service is more than a job; being a good public servant requires a particular sense of self and orientation to one's work. In this program, undergraduate students and students in the Masters in Public Administration program will learn alongside one another as we explore government in and of ourselves and government in the civic realm. A public servant enters governance empty handed. He or she must rely on the skills and wisdom of leadership developed internally and practiced for the benefit of others.

Fall quarter will focus on "transcending ourselves," our own conceptions about government and our roles in governance. We will develop personal navigation check points for decision making. The purpose of this quarter is to form an ethic of reflective practice. Public service will be cast not just as a technical problem but as a moral one.

For winter quarter, we will focus on existing governmental systems and functions. How can we transcend government as it is? We will work to create better government in the daily lives of our communities. This may result in the installation of bulletin boards, park improvements, the construction of meeting spaces, direct advocacy, drafting initiatives or policies, making manuals, etc. Finally, we will apply our learning to case studies of existing examples of government going on around us. Our question throughout will be, "What might it mean to transcend government?"

NOTE: This program is a joint offering with the Masters in Public Administration program. Undergraduates and graduate students will meet for an all-program meeting on Monday nights. Be sure to check other details of the program schedule (available on the program website) before joining this program. It is important that you decide, in advance, that you will be able to attend all program meetings. In addition, this program will involve a large independent research project, generally in the fields of public administration, government, social sciences, and philosophy.