Reflections of a "Pracademic" on the Logic of Politics and Administration

Abstract

What is different about politics and administration? The answer is found in the ways public officials experience and think about their work rather than in their behavior, according to John Nalbandian. Here, he differentiates ''constellations of logic'' that separate politics from administration and suggests that successful council-staff relations in local government depend upon the presence of a ''translator,'' usually the chief administrative officer. After outlining the elected official's role as an arbiter of values and community builder, Nalbandian suggests that professional staff's success in recognizing council needs-as the governing body experience them-and then configuring staff support within that context.