ABSTRACT
Fortunately, or unfortunately, democracy, citizenship, the common good, and public life are all contested concepts. As numerous scholars and philosophers have pointed out, competing views of the good society, desirable public policies, and the roles of elected leaders and citizens are inherent in democratic forms of government. A stable democracy must have at least three elements:
• effective means of managing competing ideologies, interests, and political parties
• means for citizens to affect the deliberations and decisions of government • methods of carrying out the public will and protecting public values
Attention to leadership emerges in connection with each of these elements. Students of political leadership often focus on the skills and qualities that citizens’ elected and appointed representatives should have in order to achieve these democratic means. Students of public administration outline the leadership responsibilities of executives and managers in government agencies. Students of social movements and civic life focus on skills and qualities of community organizers (another word for leaders), who often are critical of elected and appointed representatives and government employees for government failures.
