Problem:
In one of my Public Administration classes, the professor reacted violently to one of my classmates' comment about citizens being "customers" of government agencies. His point was that no part of the process between a government agency and a citizen looks anything like the relationship between a private buyer and seller of goods or services.
Why would he say that? Would anyone argue for or against his view? Here is an example, no matter that we think since we pay taxes that the government is working for we the people -- in point of fact the government always has the upper hand in the relationship. We the people are powerless to take our business elsewhere. We must work within their rules, policies, and regulations when we seek a service, and the government individuals with whom we deal can quickly and often assume an arrogance that can only come from a position of power and authority. That's not a seller-customer relationship, is it?
So where does the motivation come from for any government agency or individual to seek continuous improvement the way private companies must do in order to assure survival?