Reflections on Defining the Public Interest

Abstract

The definition and nature of the public interest is an ongoing area of debate and controversy among public administration scholars and practitioners. This article’s main thesis is that there exists an identifiable public interest entailing both normative and pragmatic elements that should be a foundational concern of every practicing public administrator. The administrator’s duty entails three factors: (a) the fiduciary duties to the commons as defined and constrained by constitutional principles, (b) policies that are congruent with our democratic values, and (c) the practice of nonidiosyncratic and universalized ethical administrative leadership and decision making. The article addresses this much maligned and dismissed topic by tracing its historical development focusing on the various lenses, working definitions, characteristics, and typologies of the public interest and illustrating their application in a case study of the Federal Communications Commission. The authors conclude with summary reflections and implications for public administration and public policy.