Some people believe that government officials must carry out the will of the people they serve. Others believe that officials should base their decisions on their own judgment.

Some people believe that government officials must carry out the will of the people they serve. Others believe that officials should base their decisions on their own judgment.

Government officials are people to make decisions. They employ a variety of information sources to base their decisions. They acquire data of the city’s development from professional researchers, hearken to citizen’s expectations from surveys or interviews, receive opinions from their consultants. Nonetheless, they would still need to make the final call on their own. At this point, it’s highly likely that what they think is optimal for the city does not square with what their people think is. Divergence emerges from here; while some officials choose to follow their judgment, others put the citizen’s will above all. Which is the right thing to do? I would agree with the first one because I hold that officials make better decisions than citizens.

First, officials are professionals who are trained to make civil affair-related decisions. Citizens, in contrast, though masters of the city they live in, are relatively laypersons when concerning the construction of the infrastructure, municipal administration, and economic growth. Leave the professional issues for professionals. Only that way could we achieve the most efficient and effective results.

Second, officials enjoy a broader input of information, which would benefit an optimal strategy for problem-solving. They consider how each choice would exert influence on not only the living condition of a district but to the financial growth of the whole region.

Admittedly, officials should always take the opinion of people who are concerned before they conclude. But people make judgments on their benefit, rather than that of the city. When a citizen votes for or against building an electricity plant or a garbage processing station nearby his or her community, the priority of consideration is merely the comfort of his or her life. The economic boost or environmental improvement is hardly involved in his or her list of reasons. However, it is the benefit for the most majority that we should take into account.