The recent election of Brandon Johnson as Chicago’s new mayor has been the center of attention in the US this week. As public safety concerns top the priority list for Chicagoans, political observers are attempting to explain the appeal of Johnson, who emphasized community investment and alternatives to policing to restore order in Chicago, in contrast to his opponent Paul Vallas who promised to pursue a tough-on-crime agenda.

Accountability for Social Equity

At the end of 2021, I am again reminded why public administration is so important. We are closing out the second year of a global pandemic. We see disparities throughout numerous dimensions of public service. Long standing policy and administrative issues are leading to new ones. Across all of these considerations, the important work of public administrators is evident, and it is precisely because of this importance that it is critical that public service agencies must be accountable for social equity.

A group of four students will make up the first graduating class of the University of Illinois Springfield’s new public policy bachelor’s degree program. Students first started to enroll in the program in Fall Semester 2016.