All But Forgotten

Stephanie P. Newbold

Description

Thomas Jefferson's contributions to the development of administrative thought and practice in the United States have largely been overlooked in American history. His career in public service and his ideas concerning government and constitutional tradition have overshadowed his involvement with public administration. All But Forgotten explores this hidden contribution by investigating Jefferson's two terms as president and the educational history of the University of Virginia, an institution whose early years were influenced by Jefferson's theory and practice of administration. Throughout his later years, Jefferson developed a more comprehensive awareness of the effects of the political process on the administration of government, the theoretical and practical value of preserving constitutional tradition, and the constant need to connect contemporary public policy with the types of republican principles found in the Constitution. The end of Jefferson's career is as important to the historical advancement of administrative theory and practice as the beginning is to political theory and democratic thought.
Preface
Introduction

1. The Revolutionary Thinker
Developing a Brief Contextual Understanding for Jefferson’s Perspectives on Administration and Constitutional Theory during the Early Stages of His Political Career

2. The Presidency
How Eight Years in Washington Changed Jefferson’s Constitutional and Administrative Thinking

3. Revolutionary Perspectives on State-Sponsored Education
Jefferson’s Lasting Intellectual and Institutional Contribution to the Development of Public Administration in the United States

4. Thomas Jefferson
An Administrative Creator and Conservator of American Constitutional Tradition

Notes
References
Index

Sujets

• USA
• United States of America
• History of education
• Central government
• Public administration
• History of the Americas
• Central
• États-Unis
• National

Informations

• Publié par: State University of New York Press
• Date de parution: 03 mars 2010
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781438430744
• Langue: English

Extrait

ALL BUT FORGOTTEN
Thomas Jefferson
and the Development of Public Administration
STEPHANIE P. NEWBOLD
STATE UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK PRESS

A portion of chapter 2 previously appeared as the lead article in Public Administration Review 65:6 (November/December): 669–677.
Published by State University of New York Press, Albany
© 2010 State University of New York
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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Newbold, Stephanie P., 1979–
  All but forgotten : Thomas Jefferson and the development of public administration / Stephanie P. Newbold.
       p. cm.
  Includes bibliographical references and index.
  ISBN 978-1-4384-3073-7 (hardcover : alk. paper)
  ISBN 978-1-4384-3072-0 (pb. : alk. paper)
  1. Jefferson, Thomas, 1743-1826—Influence. 2. Public administration—United States—History. 3. United States—Politics and government. I. Title.
  E332.2.N48 2010
  973.4'6092—dc22
2009023201
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

For the Historical and Administrative Legacy of Thomas Jefferson
Preface
A WISE MAN ONCE TOLD ME that the best part of being in public administration scholarship is the daily opportunity to embrace new ideas, to question what we do not know, and to champion what we believe fundamentally essential to the intellectual integrity of the field.
Thomas Jefferson's contribution to the development of administrative thought is a rare, noteworthy example of what we can reveal when we take thorough explorations into history. The purpose of this book is to place Jefferson in the correct historical context regarding his role in preserving American constitutional tradition. It also illustrates how Jefferson served as an important political figure who was largely responsible for helping to shape administrative theory and practice during the early years of the Republic.
This work follows in the tradition established by Leonard D. White and adds to the rich, often underdeveloped history of American public administration scholarship. While correctly championing the administrative and constitutional significance of Alexander Hamilton and James Madison to the maintenance and preservation of the American state, our field has not investigated the totality of Jefferson's professional life in the same manner. By contrast, administrative historians have typically concluded that while Jefferson had an exceptionally substantive mind, he lacked the knowledge, skills, and abilities to understand the nuances of sound administrative management and, just as importantly, failed to grasp the need to conserve the nation's constitutional tradition. This error largely occurred because over the years, administrative historians have scrutinized only a small portion of Jefferson's career—most notably his earlier years in public service when he authored the Declaration for American Independence and the Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom, but was making relatively little impact on ideas and theories important to administrative scholarship. After examining thousands of Jefferson's primary documents, which include letters, public and private correspondence, and official government records, a different story emerges. During the latter stages of his life, when he served as President of the United States (1801–1809) and during his retirement (1809–1826) when he founded the University of Virginia, Jefferson became increasingly interested in administration and constitutional theory. His longstanding career in public service profoundly changed his knowledge and understanding for what types of policies, decision-making, and values constituted both good government and good administration, a prominent theme associated with The Federalist . How and why this transformation occurred represents the core subject matter of this book, revealing that Jefferson's contribution to the intellectual and institutional history of American public administration is not only significant, but also worthy of contemporary attention and focus.
This book represents the core subject matter of my doctoral dissertation, so I must put pen to paper and say that I was quite fortunate to have John Rohr as my major advisor and chair and Gary Wamsley as my “coach” throughout every stage of my graduate education. I often find myself reflecting back on the many lessons they taught me while in Blacksburg, and I realize more and more what a gift it was to be their student. The moments, however, that still stand out the most in my mind are the ones where I was eating homemade ice cream sundaes on John's back porch and drinking fine red wine with Gary outside on his patio overlooking the Blue Ridge Mountains. I thank them so very much for their insistent, uncompromising demands for excellence, for their close-guarded efforts to mentor me in the democratic, constitutional spirit of the Manifesto , and for now thinking of me as both a colleague and a friend.
I am also quite grateful to David Rosenbloom and Herbert Kaufman whose continual kindness remains more generous than my words can express. I acknowledge with sincere gratitude, Daniel P. Jordan, former President of the Thomas Jefferson Foundation, who gave me access to the Jefferson Library and allowed me the opportunity to live on the grounds at Monticello while researching this book.
Over the course of conducting this research, I have learned many lessons—those that relate to Jeffersonian administrative thought certainly, but also some that made a more personal, deeply ingrained mark on my life. And no matter the situation or circumstance, I continue to be blessed by a surrounding of people who are always present, no matter if the rollercoaster of life is up or down, traveling at top speeds, or completely stopped. For so many reasons and with so much gratitude, I acknowledge and thank Lori Anderson; Denise Boots; Pam Brumbaugh; Rhea Epstein; Pamela and Daniel Feil; Al, Maddy, Zoe, and Ben Kornhauser; Samuel Newbold; Jordan Parr; Lisa Tabor; Alicia Schortgen; and Susan Wamsley.
At this point in the book's text, I should note the significance of its cover, which bears a photo of the inside of the University of Virginia's Rotunda, the pinnacle of Jefferson's academical village. This is where Jefferson wanted the majority of learning to take place at the Commonwealth of Virginia's first public institution for higher education. His forgotten legacy within the field of American public administration can be largely deduced from understanding the historical significance of this institution and its architectural design.
Introduction
S CHOLARS OF A MERICAN public administration have largely forgotten Thomas Jefferson's contribution to the development of administrative thought and practice. Jefferson's authorship of the Declaration of American Independence; his commitment to religious freedom; his support for universal education at all levels of instruction; his establishment of the University of Virginia; and his public service as Foreign Minister to France, Secretary of State, and Vice President and President of the United States are widely regarded as his most important political and professional accomplishments. As administrative historians have reflected on the intellectual and institutional history of American public administration, they have often overlooked the contributions Jefferson made to the field's theoretical and practical development ( White 1951; Caldwell 1988; Kettl 2002; among others). A careful examination of Jefferson's life, however, from his election to the presidency in 1800 to his death in 1826 reveals that he made important and noteworthy contributions to the study and practice of administration. By examining how Jefferson thought about administration at the beginning of his political career compared with how he applied administrative techniques and worked to safeguard American constitutional tradition during his later, more mature years reveal a remarkable change in perspective that can only come through experience in public service.
This book adds to the rich history of American public administration. It provides contemporary support for Leonard D. White's early twentieth-century observation regarding the value of history to administrative scholarship: “The student of administration must . . . concern himself with the history of his subject, and will gain a real appreciation of existing conditions and problems only as he becomes familiar with their background” (1926, 463). Historical methodology and analysis often involve stories, and the story of Jefferson's administrative, political, intellectual, institutional, and constitutional transformation into an important, sadly forgotten figure of American administrative history is critical to the field's recognition and understanding of its past.
On a broader level, history serves as one of the core foundations for social investigative study. Every social science relies, in some capacity, on political, social, economic, and administrative history. Perhaps Sheldon Wolin, in his highly regarded work, Politi