Advancing Social Equity in the Minnowbrook Tradition

The goals of valuing social equity and using it as a guide in managing public programs are firmly rooted in the Minnowbrook tradition. Although civil rights activists have long fought for equality, attendees at the Minnowbrook I conference in 1968 were among the first in the field of public administration to directly confront societal inequities by asserting that public administrators should, in addition to valuing efficiency and effectiveness, stress the value social equity in the management and distribution of public services. The field's emphasis on social equity continued on through Minnowbrook II and was identified as a key concern during the most recent Minnowbrook III conference. After briefly summarizing discussion on this topic during Minnowbrook III, this article provides an agenda for advancing the field's commitment to social equity. This agenda centers upon clarifying the conceptual parameters of social equity, transforming the place of social equity in academic instruction, and building upon existing themes and methodologies in social equity research. Last, predictions for the role of social equity at a future Minnowbrook IV conference are presented for further consideration.