Career public servants are not politicians. They are trained professionals who spend years developing deep expertise and dedicate their careers to making their communities a better place.
Public health professionals understand how to reach vulnerable communities. Librarians are specially trained to curate programs and displays that spark curiosity, promote literacy, and reflect the diverse communities they serve.
In the field of public administration, we call this administrative discretion, which is the ability of trained experts to have some flexibility and autonomy when applying their expertise to making decisions. I want to be clear that this discretion is not a loophole or a way for public officials to interject their personal preferences; rather, it is a valuable feature of efficient and effective government. Discretion allows frontline professionals to adapt services to local needs…