Sample Solution

The civil rights movement of the 1950s and 1960s marked a major shift in the face of public administration. Prior to this period, government bureaucracies were largely comprised of white men from privileged backgrounds and were not very diverse (LeRoux & Williams 2009). However, with the passage of various laws such as the Civil Rights Act and Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, public administrators began to take diversity into consideration when filling positions within their departments (LeRoux & Williams 2009). This allowed individuals from minority groups such as African Americans, women and other minorities who had previously been denied access to these jobs due to discrimination an opportunity for advancement within government (Henneberger 1997).

The civil rights movement also helped shape public sector values by placing a greater emphasis on fairness, equity, inclusion and other ideals that reflect its goals. These are reflected in initiatives such as affirmative action which seeks to foster workplace diversity while creating more opportunities for those who have faced discrimination in the past (Henneberger 1997). Additionally, it has given rise to movements like Black Lives Matter which highlight issues like police brutality against people of color thus increasing awareness about systemic racism that still exists today. It is also important because it has changed how bureaucrats view their roles: instead of simply implementing policy they see themselves as representatives for citizens whose interests may be overlooked or ignored by decision makers at higher levels of authority (Hertel-Fernandez 2017).