JOURNAL ARTICLE

50 Years as the 4th Pillar of Public Administration: A Polycentric Extension of the Social Equity Framework

Title:
50 Years as the 4th Pillar of Public Administration: A Polycentric Extension of the Social Equity Framework
Authors:
Stokan, Eric Hatch, Megan Overton, Michael
Year:
2023
Output Type:
Journal Article
Venue:
Public Administration
Venue Type:
Peer-reviewed journal
Status:
Published
Theme:
Municipal Finance and Budgeting
Sub-theme:
Economic Development
Shared Trajectory:
Community Development Block Grants
Abstract:
Abstract While public consideration of social equity pre‐dates Minnowbrook (Blessett et al., 2019; Burnier, 2021), the field formally recognized social equity as its fourth pillar after the conference (Frederickson, 1971). The National Academy of Public Administration (NAPA, 2000), Svara and Brunet (2004, 2005), and Johnson and Svara (2011) outlined a unified social equity framework along four dimensions: procedural fairness, access, quality, and outcomes. We build on this important work by offering a polycentric extension , which considers what social equity means when government programs are often place‐based and delivered in an intergovernmental context with multiple decision‐making units across spatial levels (e.g., state, city, neighborhood) simultaneously. Using the Community Development Block Grant as an example, we demonstrate the importance of careful consideration of geographic levels in the delivery of public goods for understanding the program's social equity implications. The polycentric framework can be a useful tool for evaluating the social equity of policies.
Topics:
Social equity Polycentricity Public administration theory
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.1111/padm.12888
Citations (OpenAlex):
30
Open Access Copy:
https://doi.org/10.1111/padm.12888
OpenAlex ID:
W4302290770
Full Citation:
Stokan, Eric, Megan Hatch, and Michael Overton. (2023). "50 Years as the 4th Pillar of Public Administration: A Polycentric Extension of the Social Equity Framework." Public Administration, 101 (4), 1427-1442. https://doi.org/10.1111/padm.12888
Cite this work Published

Reference

Stokan, Eric; Hatch, Megan; Overton, Michael (2023). 50 Years as the 4th Pillar of Public Administration: A Polycentric Extension of the Social Equity Framework. Public Administration.

View published version

@article{stokan2023_50_years_as_the_4th_pill,
  title   = {50 Years as the 4th Pillar of Public Administration: A Polycentric Extension of the Social Equity Framework},
  author  = { Stokan, Eric and Hatch, Megan and Overton, Michael },
  year    = {2023},
  journal = {Public Administration},
  doi     = {10.1111/padm.12888},
  url     = {https://www.michaeloverton.net/research/items/50_years_as_the_4th_pillar_of_public_administration_a_polyce.html}
}