What, according to Plunkitt, is the purpose of government? What is his view of good government?
The purpose of government is to provide personal benefit. The main errors in the civil service department from Plunkitt’s perspective was that there was very little personal benefit and the requirements were too unnecessary. He truly believed that there was absolutely no need for civil services as shown when he says, “The constitution of the new state wouldn’t have a word about civil service, and if any man dared to introduce any kind of a civil service bill in the Legislature, he would be fired… Then we would have government of the people by the people who were elected to govern them.(63)” Good government was only required to work as hard as would prove beneficial for the governor in Plunkitt’s opinion.
What are Plunkitt’s ideas of patriotism?
In Plunkitt’s mind patriotism is equal to inspiration personal benefit. This patriotism is only sowed within people when they are able to observe a greater future for…show more content… Also he believes that he is not one of those who was particularly corrupt, while holding a certain degree of truth, is a matter of morality. Plunkitt never explicitly broke any laws, but he always treaded very closely to this line between legal and illegal. He is entirely against any truly incriminating acts, but if the act si completely just by his standards such as, “If a man forgot his duty.., Dan would call on the man…, and say: ‘You haven’t been round at the Hall lately, have you?’ If the man tried to slide around the question, Dan would say: ‘It’s gettin’ awful cold.’ Then he would have a fit of shiverin’ and walk away… No force, no threats – only a little shiverin’ which any man is liable to even in summer.” This shows that Plunkitt is asymptotic in his ways of maneuvering around the law and penal
