Democracy and Merit Based Management in Public Sector

The hiring of people on the basis of acquaintances, friends, acquaintances, relatives, etc., which is not based on merit and merit, is morally undeserved and carries risks and dangers for the development of the country and the future of society. It is often said, especially by those who govern, that running a state is a difficult craft. This difficulty stems from the provisions set out in the constitutions of countries, the governance regime adopted by the country and the way each ruler governs with an understanding of the public good, but it is also related to how the demands and needs of the governed are met.

The state structure, which is especially prominent in Western societies, is generally accepted as the most advanced system. State governance is carried out through multiple stakeholders such as members of the government, opposition parties, military and civilian bureaucracy, public and private sector organizations, communities and congregations belonging to different ethnic and religious sects, democratic mass and civil society organizations, media, etc.

The philosophers of the Enlightenment period, while defending the understanding of liberal democracy, proposed governments that prioritized the interests of the whole society based on the principles of equality, liberty and fraternity. Thus, modern Western societies have witnessed the acceptance of elections as the basic parameter of democracy and the introduction of the parliamentary democratic system to govern the state with an understanding based on the representation of the people.

State administration is a whole. Public and private sectors, non-governmental organizations and institutions are sometimes in conflict and sometimes in coordination. Democracies have never witnessed a conflict-free administration. Since the essence of democracy is to listen to different voices, discussions and conflicts are considered normal. Because the people are the demanders and the administration is the one that provides services and makes investments in response to this demand.

It is said that one of the honorable people (said to be Namik Kemal), who was present at a friendly gathering where heated speeches were made on the intellectual movements of the period, stated that conflicts of opinion were natural and that this would help the truth to emerge. Refik Halit, one of those present, objected and said, "No, no!", "we either get bullets or exile from these conflicts!" Of course, this is not the conflict we mean. The phenomenon I want to explain here is that conflicts are conflicts of ideas. Whichever group's opinion is put forward as open to discussion, everyone can put forward their own opinion against this proposed view and through mutual dialogue a common point can be reached. In this respect, everything is transparent, except for the confidentiality of the state's international interests, which are expected not to be hidden from the public.

Today, the classical understanding of democracy has faltered even in Western societies, the cradle of democracy. However, political rulers, who still come to power through elections, are still afraid of public reactions and actions led by civil society organizations, even though they are the holders of power.

Eastern societies, on the other hand, are accustomed to centralized governments and orders from above. In such societies, democracy is unfortunately not fully assimilated both by the rulers and the people.

There may be corruption and decay in both Western and Eastern societies. However, in Western societies, it is relatively easier to claim rights, to protect oneself against the state, to draw the attention of the masses of the people through various means, and, when necessary, to initiate a struggle against the members of power and interests that have turned into oppressive structures. The established cultural structure and traditions of society allow for this.

In general terms, the problems that drag societies into chaos are the damage to the independence of the legislature, executive and judiciary, the erosion of the principle of the rule of law, the increase in human rights violations, the lack of a fair distribution of income and the prioritization of interest relations. Under these conditions, when the state administration loses its legitimacy to inspire confidence, irregularities such as nepotism, bribery and corruption inevitably come into play and everyone tends to claim that they have rights and entitlements.

From the moment order is disrupted in society, no one wants to express what their responsibility is, preferring to ignore it. Once the sense of right and justice is shaken in all societies, the law of the jungle begins to take effect, whether the individual obeys the rules or not. Each individual considers it permissible for him/herself to do anything.

For this reason, in order to implement meritocracy and to establish this understanding, first of all, from the head of state to the lowest employee, there must be competent knowledge, skills and equipment related to the work to be done.

Up to this point, I have tried to explain the principles of common good, public conscience, being happy, acting in accordance with reason and being just, the individual's observance of the right as he/she lives in society with others besides himself/herself, and his/her care to ensure rights and justice in his/her intersubjective relations with others.

Within the framework of all these inferences and explanations, the suitability for a job and having the capacity, knowledge and ability to do that job can only be explained by the concept of merit, as clearly and clearly emphasized by experts in this field. To be able to perform a job, to successfully fulfill the assigned task, means to have the competence to perform the requirements of that job.

What is Nepotism? It means shelving merit. It is the use of rent and interest in recruitment or by the state to favor close relatives and friends. Acting with the understanding of saving the day brings weaknesses in state administration. The presence of incompetent and ill-informed people in public administration is equivalent to a neighbor who leaves the door open and invites a thief. This leads to disasters in state administration and invites inequality and injustice for public employees. It increases the problems between public employees, makes conflicts visible and disrupts the harmonious working environment in the institutional structure!

This situation also brings about powerless power formations. In other words, the appointment of unqualified people with broad authority but low sense of responsibility to administrative positions serves the perception of an irresponsible and incapable power.

These behaviors, which find their meaning in idioms such as "what's in it for me", "let the snake that doesn't touch me live a thousand lives", really lead the country and individuals to disaster! In the selection of personnel to be hired, first of all, attention should be paid to the knowledge and equipment required by the job, as well as the qualifications and competence. The goal of public personnel management should be to provide the best service to all citizens who are consumers or customers of public services. It should never be forgotten that injustice to the individual will cause anger and resentment against both the state and all members of society.

Injustice to the individual can lead to resentment and hostility towards the system and the state. It should not be forgotten that the issue of being wronged is one of the underlying causes of violence in public, on the street and in health. In this regard, the management of people who are specialized in a certain field, well-educated, successfully passed exams, advanced in their careers, have a high level of intelligence and talent, and can communicate well with those around them and with their work will move society forward. Merit-based recruitment, in which both the selection committee and those selected for the job are treated fairly and equipped to deserve and do justice to the job, seems essential for the success of bureaucracy and state administration.

Again, we come back to the issue of democracy. Democracy is based on the sovereignty of the people. But as Plato points out, for the people to elect those who will govern them, they must be adults and well-educated. If this is not ensured, democracy can turn into autocracy, in other words dictatorship, and society can face more severe injustices. Since Plato, many philosophers have wanted more knowledgeable, more talented and wise people to come to power because of their belief that these people would act fairly, equally and in accordance with the principles of equity. However, this elitist thinking is more and more undermined in today's conditions and leads to totalitarian practices!

Therefore, it can be said that a democratic understanding of governance based on a parliamentary system is a more egalitarian understanding. Of course democracy is not a problem-free regime! But it can still be thought to be the best one that can be implemented among the governments. The problem is again, in Habermas' words, the establishment of the principle of deliberative democracy and, in the words of Socrates, 'the coming to power of politicians as people who know themselves, and the selection of people suitable for the job. However, it must be recognized that theory does not always match practice, problems are solved but new problems always arise. The continuity of the state's governance is also related to the fact that it is always in a position to solve these problems. In this sense, there is a need for a democratic government that will demonstrate the necessity of an elected government in a constitutional state order. This administration should be in a position to maintain its rights and duties with an understanding that observes the principles of freedom, equality and equity. In short, the application of merit not only in the conditions of employment in the public sector, but also at all levels of state administration is important and necessary in order to be a responsible citizen and to ensure the continuity of the state.

I say stay with respect and love.