Public Servants Studied in Image and Essay

A Fanfare for the Common Bureaucrat

“Dr. Goodsell’s new book will bring to light the invaluable contribution of public administrators’ work (from all levels of government) to the people’s general well-being and the safety of the public at large. Featuring specific governmental work roles and job duties will provide rich contextual descriptions both at the agency and the individual levels of public service. These will bring otherwise faraway and detached perceptions of government work into the focus of concrete professional duties and missions…The book promises to bring students face-to-face with the main dilemmas and challenges permeating their jobs as public servants at the federal, state, and local levels.”

“As public scrutiny on agencies and individuals’ work is at an all-time high, it is paramount for the public to gain insight into the wide variety of jobs that are crucial to keeping the American people safe, sometimes even at high personal risk for public personnel. Putting a face and a name to people performing those jobs will help broaden our understanding of the true nature of public service.”

“Like having a guest speaker in every class.”

“This book is a great resource to introduce the field to those who are just thinking of becoming public administrators…The first book of its kind to focus not on managers but on the front-line employees themselves.”