PUBLIC OFFICIAL ASSOCIATIONS AND PROFESSIONALISM

Associations of public officials have been an important element of pub lic professionalism in the United States since the reform era. This pa per examines the ways in which associations of public officials are he lping to redefine public professionalism. The focus on the paper is on the promotion of professionalism by association activities, the sense of professional identity fostered by association involvement, and the ways in which associations integrate issues of policy, management, an d professional expertise to contribute to the development of true publ ic professionalism. The paper examines ways that professional/speciali st and political/generalist associations are converging on issues of p olicy, strategic thinking, and role effectiveness.