ABSTRACT
What seems obvious is that creativity in public administration is only marginally under control by those identified with public administration. Academics in public administration seem to be motivated by personal gain—more than they realize or admit. Public administration does offer opportunities for outside employment and alternative career development not matched by many other areas. Public administration decision making takes place in an area of confusion and conflict, involving—for starters—religion, political theory, constitutional law, philosophy, ethics, and economics. One of the great unresolved issues in public-administration debates is the centralization-decentralization dichotomy. There are different aspects of the matter which are of great importance for public administration. One of these is how expertise and professionalism in general can be and should be put together, in government in general and in public administration in particular. The other aspect is whether there is an expertise—or professionalism—in government itself, and especially whether there is such an expertise that can be claimed by the public administrator.
