Homework Clinic
Social Science Clinic => Law and Politics => Topic started by: LaDunn on Jul 31, 2020
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Question 1
Are police chiefs "political"? Should they be political?
Question 2
Explain the statement, "Internal politics is not a problem; it is a situation."
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Answer 1
The answer should include the following points:
- Police managers do not operate in a vacuum-they are influenced by, and influence, almost every societal structure around them. They function in an administrative, social, and political environment.
- Whether they should or not is academic here; the fact remains that they do.
- Police leaders need to consider the political implications of dealing with a wide range of overlapping stakeholders, including governance, news media, police associations and unions, the justice system, and special interest groups.
Answer 2
The answer should include the following points:
- A problem can be solved; a situation is constantly present and must be dealt with hour by hour, day by day.
- Challenging the grip of internal politics and hidden agendas starts with building shared vision. Without a genuine sense of common vision and values, there is nothing to motivate people beyond self-interest.
- A nonpolitical climate also demands "openness"-both the norm of speaking openly and honestly about important issues and the capacity to continually challenge one's own thinking. The first might be called participative openness; the second, reflective openness.