Introduction
Statesmanship is a vital concept of the public administration discipline that concerns political virtue and compassion. Ruderman (2012, p. 89) characterized it as the “art of moderation” that can lead society to a better future. Many experts emphasized statesmanship as a primary quality of exceptional politicians who can find the appropriate balance between innovation, preservation, and public sentiment (Baldwin, 2012; Ruderman, 2012). The current paper applies the primary concepts of statesmanship to a specific case study in public administration in Denmark.
Article Overview
Namely, the examined article concerns the digitalization of the public administration sector in Denmark and its effect on creating enduring value. Scupola and Mergel (2022) thoroughly analyzed the implementation of innovative solutions and governmental policies in the public sector, determining the direct relationship between the eventual result and co-production among the central, local, and regional governments. They found that five primary aspects, such as co-design, co-assessment, co-delivery, co-management, and co-planning, significantly enhanced communication and improved the outcomes of public policies and digitalization efforts (Scupola & Mergel, 2022). The authors applied a qualitative research methodology and a case study design to accurately reflect the perspectives of vital stakeholders on the digitalization process in the public administration sector (Scupola & Mergel, 2022). Ultimately, the authors concluded that collaboration on the national and local levels was immensely effective in advancing the relationship between the government and the public.
Connection to the Concepts
The overarching goal of the digitalization process described in the case study was to improve the communication among the vital stakeholders, directly connecting politicians and citizens. This initiative transparently reflects the primary principles of American statesmanship and the biblical-covenantal perspective on public administration (Shafritz & Hyde, 2017; Fischer, 2010). Particularly, the concept of a covenant refers to a “morally informed agreement among various parties to ratify and establish a long-term, mutually-affirming relationship” (Fischer, 2010, p. 8). According to the current case study, it was the primary reason for initiating the collaborative digitalization process (Scupola & Mergel, 2022). Moreover, the authors emphasized that the increased speed of the governmental response was one of the outcomes. As mentioned by Burns (2018, p. 62) in his analysis of Taft’s statesmanship, one of the primary criticisms of the judicial system was being “slow and expensive.” The goal of the examined policy was aimed precisely to mitigate this drawback, which is another reference to the fundamentals of public administration. Ultimately, the analyzed digitalization process is a direct continuation of American statesmanship.
Conclusion
The current paper has applied the concepts of statesmanship and the biblical-covenantal perspective to the specific case study of public administration digitalization. Although the described process occurred in Denmark, the underlying motivation behind the decision directly related to the principles of American statesmanship. Ultimately, the goal of public administration is to ensure effective communication between the government and citizens, quickly reacting to any emerging problems, and the examined case study transparently demonstrated the application of the fundamental concepts to improve the public administration sector in Denmark.
References
Baldwin, C. (2012). Franklin’s classical American statesmanship. Perspectives on Political Science, 41, 67-74.
Burns, K. J. (2018). Chief justice as chief executive: Taft’s judicial statesmanship. Journal of Supreme Court History, 43(1), 47-68.
Fischer, K. (2010). A biblical-covenantal perspective on organizational behavior and leadership. Faculty Publications and Presentations, 523.
Ruderman, R. (2012). Statesmanship reconsidered. Perspectives on Political Science, 41, 86-89.
Scupola, A., & Mergel, I. (2020). Co-production in digital transformation of public administration and public value creation: The case of Denmark. Government Information Quarterly, 39(1).
Shafritz, J. M., & Hyde, A. C. (2017). Classics of public administration (8th edition). Cengage Learning.