- Genre:political science
- Sub-genre:Public Policy / Social Policy
- Language:English
- Pages:76
- Paperback ISBN:9781543963083
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Overview
This book is about the decline in and deterioration of the provision of public services, over time, that has become the "new normal" particularly in the United States and across most countries (developed and developing). That this malaise owes its existence not just to the lack of education--rather to the conscious apathy and ignorance--is the pervasive theme of this book's argument and advocacy for government and public action.
Description
The book argues that the delivery of effective, efficient, and equitable public services to the citizens is essentially a Human Rights issue. Yet, and especially since the 1970s, there has been a pervasive and constant denying of the concept of Public Good. The negation of this notion emanates from a variety of factors: indifference, callousness, bigotry, hatred, xenophobia, lack of education, and Ignorance. These dangerous trends, if not challenged and rectified, will soon lead to the demise of the American dream and the country's purported exceptionalism. Given this basic premise, the State has a moral, legal, political, social, and economic obligation to its citizens—particularly to the downtrodden, vulnerable, and marginalized sections of the population--from the preservation of fundamental rights to the maintenance of law and order and onward to the demonstration of transparency and accountability in everyday functions. The issues being raised are by no means exhaustive and the debate can be endless. This book does not claim to provide answers to the current predicament. Instead, it is intended to provoke a discussion of where we have been and what can be done.
