The concept that diversity within the public workforce ensures representation of diverse groups is called?

• A. Diversity
• B. Civil Service
• C. Representative Bureaucracy
• D. Double Marginality

Answer: (C)

Representive bureaucracy is the idea that a public workforce that mirrors the population helps ensure that policies and services reflect the needs of diverse groups. When the workforce includes people from different backgrounds, their experiences, languages, and perspectives surface in how policies are made and how services are delivered. This improves understanding, reduces blind spots, and boosts legitimacy because communities see themselves represented in the institutions that serve them. It’s not just about having a varied staff; it’s about how that representation shapes priorities and decisions within government. The other terms describe diversity in a general sense, a civil-service system, or a separate concept about minority workers facing multiple forms of marginalization, rather than the specific idea that representation in the bureaucracy affects policy and practice.