Summary#4

Article#1

“Public Administration and Public Interest” is written by E. Pendleton Herring. The main idea of the article is that bureaucrat is close to the legislator. It is asserted that the “creation of a great bureaucracy” was the result of government. Moreover, bureaucracy has power to fulfill its functions. Furthermore, public services such as “police”, “sanitation” are necessary to people which have competition with private ones.

It is claimed that democracy exists through administrative organization. Author gives an example that US bureaucracy suffers because they prefer “hierarchical organization” and “state service”. According to the author democratic state is based on “group interests”, which means the “achievement of a great administrative machine”.

The main point which author makes is that citizens have their own interests. Author argues that people do not trust the state, however they need help from government. Moreover, citizens use facilities, which are provided and given by government, but in another hand they do not want to be controlled by government.

Furthermore, author gives an example of the Herman Finer, who says: “the public is hostile to the officials…” here his main idea is that the public: “tax collector ”, “medical officer”, “inspector” whoever, their purpose is to take from us, rather than giving to us, and according to him it is the feature of the nature.

It is conducted that public interest is symbol, which introduces such values as: “unity”, “order”, and “objectivity” to the administrator.

2^nd article

“How religion was excluded from public life”, it is the big article which includes three main topics of three different authors.

“France: the secular state” is written by Alain Gresh. The topic has the connection with history of last centuries. In 1879 as republican won the election; this event pushed the idea of excluding the religion from the government. In result, Sunday became simple day, and divorce was legalized. Moreover, Religious instructions were prohibited in state schools. The main point of the topic is the issue of separation of the church from state, which started on 5^th December 1905. On 30^th   July 1904 the relations between France and Vatican were broken. Moreover, Pope Pius X was scared because of the threat that other countries would follow France and would separate the state from church. Until 1945 women were prohibited to take part in election. Until the end of 1960 in France mostly there were single sex schools.

“Immigrant Islam” is written by Jocelyne Césari. According to the author nowadays there are 11 million Muslims in Europe. The main idea of the author that European countries have Commissions or organizations, which protect the Islam from discrimination and etc. For example, in Spain there is the Spanish Islam Commission.

The next sub topic is “Battle of headscarf”; here the main point that author makes is that American Muslims’ life is easier in comparison with their “co-religionists”. However, Hollywood, US televisions accept the Islam as terrorist organization. 

The next topic is the “Demonizing of Islam”; the main point here is the Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR), which monitors everything, that is related to Islam in order to avoid discrimination. Author gives an example, that CAIR won the case toward the Nike and Budweiser companies, condemning them in discrimination.

The last topic is “Say Yes to secular France” is written by Henri Peña-Ruiz. According to the author secularism is not accidental function, which emerged in French History, but it is the victory of achievement that should be encouraged.