Representation vs. Stewardship (Post 4)

This post should be a short one, as it only serves to wrap up the preceding 3 posts. In those posts I discussed the difference between Representation and Stewardship - the first indicates a philosophy of acting as a proxy for the populous one represents and serving merely to voice the opinions of that populous in the government, while the second posits the role of the official to act in the best interest of the greater good, regardless of the voiced opinions of the populous.

Those in lower levels of government seem to be better served by acting more as Representatives than Stewards. As their "greater good" is smaller it is more likely that their constituents are better attuned to what is in their best interest. In the process of moving to the national level, elected officials should start to lean closer to the Steward end of the continuum, as the greater good they are responsible for is one far beyond the locality that elects them.

Appointed officials should serve their constituency through closer adherence to the Steward end of the continuum as they are not elected to voice the will of the people, they are professional bureaucrats charged with enacting the will of the Legislature. These administrators are at least one level removed from the constituency, so acting with deference to the greater good of society should be seen as preferable to representing the views of a more vocal minority of the population (usually the same individuals clamoring for the attention of their elected officials).

And here ends my discussion on the rolls of Representation vs. Stewardship, as I see it, based on the factors surrounding the official's place in government. The two reside on a continuum and it is unlikely that any official - elected or appointed, local or national - will rest at one end or the other; but rather, will be closer to one end than the other. Some look out for the greater good while others serve to voice the opinions of their constituency - virtually all do both, it's merely a matter of degree of each.

Moving on from here, I hope to post at least once per week. This past month has been a trial to make sure I can keep (pretty close) on a schedule. Some weeks I may post more, based on how many interesting articles / issues I come across. In the meantime, if you like this blog - bookmark it, add it to your RSS feeds, become a follower & pass it on to your friends!

Until next time, my dear readers, take care!