Public interest and good governance in the rule of law aspect

Abstract

The purpose of the article is to elucidate the relationship between good governance, the public interest and the rule of law, given the declining tendency of the rule of law indices around the world and in the crisis conditions. The study is based on a systematic method that has allowed to establish the relation-ship between the rule of law, good governance and the public interest and determines the use of content analysis and hermeneutic methods. The article clarifies that the rule of law and human rights are the values of a democratic society that determine the content and direction of public authorities’ and legis-lation activities, argues that the declining tendency of the rule of law index does not indicate a devalua-tion of the rule of law and citizens' disbelief in its effectiveness; instead, this tendency might indicate a certain change in the vector of public authorities activity, and improper exercise of powers by estab-lished means. A comparative analysis of the two countries and their governance systems between Ukraine and Germany showed differences in countries with different rule of law indices. Good govern-ance and the rule of law are interdependent and cannot exist without each other. The main provisions of the article can be guidelines for improving public administration within states implementing the rule of law.