Revitalize the Public Service, Revitalize the Middle Class

• DOI: http://doi.org/10.1111/puar.13084
• Author: Heather Getha‐Taylor
• Date: 01 September 2019
• Published date: 01 September 2019

772 Public Administration Review • Septe mber | Oct ober 2 019

Abstract: The reinventing government movement of the 1990s reshaped the public sector in significant ways. Creating

a government that worked better and cost less was accomplished through streamlined federal middle management

ranks and privatized service delivery, which contributed to the emergence of a “hollow state.” Workforce reductions

that addressed short-term economic realities effectively threatened the long-term sustainability of governmental

organizations and the communities they serve. A variety of forces are now ushering in a new era of hollow government,

including a changing context for public work, shifting bureaucratic expectations, and reduced capacity for workforce

management. The public sector and its employees represent an important contributor to the vitality of our economy

and communities. Revitalizing the public sector workforce is critical for revitalizing the middle class, and both

represent urgent policy priorities.

Revitalize the Public Service, Revitalize the Middle Class

Heather Getha-Taylor

University of Kansas

The reinventing government movement of

the 1990s reshaped the public sector in

significant ways. Creating a government that

worked better and cost less was accomplished through

streamlined federal middle management ranks and

privatized service delivery, which contributed to the

emergence of a “hollow state” (Milward and Provan

2000). While this reform effort promised efficiencies,

it also introduced considerable challenges, including

public workforce management difficulties. State and

local governments faced a similar situation in the wake

of the Great Recession. Against a backdrop of harsh

financial realities, governments cut their workforces in

unprecedented ways that had lasting effects. Many are

still struggling to recover.

These trends matter today because public

employment has been described as a pathway to the

middle class, and the contraction of the public service

is connected to the shrinking middle class. Public

workers (including federal, state, and local) make up

approximately 16 percent of the country’s workforce.

Postrecession cuts have had lasting impacts on many

essential government services, including corrections,

fire, police, health, and education (Maciag 2017).

Workforce reductions to address short-term economic

realities have effectively threatened the long-term

viability of these services and the communities

they serve. Now, a variety of societal, sectoral,

organizational, and programmatic forces are ushering

in a new era of hollow government. Together, these

forces have the potential to impact the public service

and the middle class in additional, significant ways.

First, the context for public employment reflects an

entrenched and expanding antigovernment sentiment

that ignores the many valuable contributions that

public employees make to society and the middle class.

At the same time, the contract or “shadow” workforce

continues to grow, and there is evidence that this

growth displaces members of the middle class. Second,

the expectations for public work are eroding. While

government employees may have traditionally accepted

lower wages in exchange for relative job security

and potentially more generous benefits, this existing

bureaucratic compact is being hollowed out by the

expansion of at-will employment reforms, compensation

stagnation, and narrowed bargaining rights.

Third, the capacity for managing the public workforce

is under threat. As governments continue to adapt to

expected changes in the future, including the arrival of

new generations in the workplace and the widespread

application of technology to government work, a variety

of workforce management themes will remain relevant,

including effectively resolving conflict, ensuring

equity and inclusiveness, and engaging employees.

Some changes to this landscape stand to shift burdens

from employer to employee, which especially impact

vulnerable workers in precarious times. Additionally,

there are concerns that public human resource

specialists do not have the tools or resources to

effectively contribute to addressing issues strategically or

participating fully as leaders in their organizations.

Together, these trends raise concerns, but they also

highlight an opportunity to anticipate and respond

Viewpoint

Public Administration Review,

Vol. 79, Iss. 5, pp. 772–776. © 2019 by

The American Society for Public Administration.

DOI: 10.1111/puar.13084.

Heather Getha-Taylor is associate

professor in the School of Public Affairs and

Administration at the University of Kansas.

E-mail: hgtaylor@ku.edu

Stephen E. Condrey

and Tonya Neaves,

Associate Editors