The given case study describes a challenging situation of the West Carolina Environmental Protection Agency (WCEPA). The problem of the WCEPA is determined by its low reputation and ineffective policies. The head of the WCEPA hired Alice Sanger to fix the previously mentioned problems because she was the agency’s governor in the late 1980s. Sanger’s proficiency and working experience are useful tools that would help indicate the most appropriate solutions for the existing situation. The importance of the given case study lies in the fact that the indicated problems are universal and could occur with any agency all over the country. This means that a clear understanding of how to resolve the WCEPA’s issue would assist in dealing with similar situations. The current essay will provide background information on the WCEPA and describe the reasons and the consequences of their problem in a detailed manner. In addition to that, the paper will assess the reasonableness of the suggestions made by Alice Sanger. Finally, the author of the essay would discuss other possible solutions that would help the agency to restore the reputation and the quality of its policies.
To begin with, it is necessary to provide some background information on the WCEPA. WCEPA is located in the 4th Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) region (EPA, 2020). States of the US are granted flexibility in dealing with air pollution problems, and, therefore, the WCEPA is concerned only with the environmental issues of West Carolina. At this point, it should be mentioned that the danger of the decision to give sub-federal units freedom in resolving ecological matters might lead to the so-called “race to the bottom” (Graham, 1998). This situation implies that states weaken environmental regulations in favor of businesses and, consequently, destroy the entire country’s ecological situation. The case study analysis gives a reason to suggest that this situation is exactly what happened in West Carolina. The problem of the WCEPA is exacerbated by the fact that it lost the trust and respect of people whom it ought to protect from environmental hazards. The groupings that hinder the implementation of efficient environmental policies are not only businesses that lobby their interests. Politicians, ecological groups, taxpayers, and the EPA itself could affect the policies of the WCEPA.
Half of the solutions proposed by Alice Sanger reflect Rumsfeld’s rules, i.e., the suggestions on how to govern the state that was gathered by Donald Henry Rumsfeld, the former US secretary of defense. For instance, Sanger quotes Rumsfeld in arguing that the officials should admit their faults and lack awareness of some facts or issues (Rumsfeld, 2013). Another peculiar suggestion retrieved from Rumsfeld is not to be afraid of criticism because it indicates that an official does something that matters (Rumsfeld, 2013). Undoubtedly, it seems highly rational and logical to resort to using Rumsfeld’s rules because they were created by politicians with broad experience in governance.
The rules created by Sanger herself include the necessity to direct the efforts against eradicating political miscalculations. Besides, Sanger emphasizes that, in some cases, politicians tend to alter the initial goals. Therefore, it is essential to adhere to the initially chosen strategies and objectives and not change them under the pressure of public opinion. Sanger also claims that public officials should think of what they say every minute of their life and not let any third-party actors affect their final decisions. To sum up, Sanger believes that the public image of the WCEPA could be restored only if the officials change their attitude to their work and protect not personal interests but the environment.
References
EPA (2020). About EPA Region 4 (Southeast). United States Environmental Protection Agency. Web.
Graham, M. (1998). Environmental Protection & the States: “Race to the Bottom” or “Race to the Bottom Line”? Brookings. Web.
Rumsfeld, D. (2013). Rumsfeld’s Rules: Leadership Lessons in Business, Politics, War, and Life. HarperCollins Publishers.