ABSTRACT
This chapter explores the reasons why the role of career public administration is so contested in American democracy. On the one hand, career administrators are viewed by some citizens as sheep—docilely obedient to their masters, while others fear they will use their position of advantage to serve themselves, perhaps at the expense of their masters, thus acting more like wolves in sheep’s clothing. On the other hand, career administrators play an important role in “constituting the meaning of democracy,” and in building trust and legitimacy in governing processes and institutions. They play this role by bringing to the table a special kind of competence, what we call prudential judgment—the ability to know what is best to do in the circumstances at the moment.
