Public Administration Conveys Activities Concerned With Public

Public administration conveys activities concerned with public service (what government can give to people). Therefore, I believe that the primary objective of a public administrator should be to strive to work for all citizens regardless of their income, race, gender, creed or physical ability to ensure that they are treated justly, impartially and fairly. In order to accomplish this objective, public administration must continuously strike a balance for values that have to do with power and equity.

I am not a believer in laissez-faire capitalism, the notion that an economic system functions best when there is no interference by government. Instead, I see public administration as a necessity for maximizing the well being of individuals and the community. Therefore, I would like to pursue a Master's in Public Administration because of my strong desire to help build a better society by becoming part of a government agency that is designed to have a positive impact on people's lives and to balance the power between corporations and citizens.

One of my major opportunities for putting my graduate degree in public administration to good use lies in the U.S. Department of Labor. I believe this institution will provide me with ample possibilities to help people. The U.S. Department of Labor holds that every worker deserves to have the opportunity to work, receive acceptable wages and work hours, a safe environment to work in, a work environment free of discrimination and retirement and health benefits. Unfortunately, everyday, unethical employers circumvent these basic human rights by breaking labor laws designed to protect employees. Nothing illustrates the potential perils of laissez-faire capitalism more than the practice of buying and selling labor. Employers have greater power than employees that often causes conflict with values such as treating employees fairly and even lead to illegal practices.

The Department of Labor is appealing to me because it serves as a watch dog to punish employers who treat their employees unjustly. Without the Department of Labor, unethical corporations would have too much power over workers and employees would be subjected to poor working conditions. For this reason, I believe that my public service ideals are a good match with the purposes that the Department of Labor fulfills.