ABSTRACT
Many modern democratic governments have laws or political norms that differentiate between appropriate and inappropriate public relations activities. This chapter helps the public relations practitioner think about how to navigate the ambiguous border between appropriate and inappropriate activities. It describes the approach that aims to be applicable in modern nation-states generally, but it will be illustrated by use of examples from the US federal government, as it exemplifies the diverse nature of the sorts of ambiguous prohibitions that practitioners can unwittingly cross. In the United States, government public relations practitioners can be divided into two types—civil servants and political appointees. Civil servants are hired by agencies based upon their knowledge, skills, abilities, and experience. A political appointee, on the other hand, is chosen by a president or agency head, and the political appointee serves as an advocate for and an executor of the president's agenda.
