ABSTRACT
This chapter offers a full and balanced exploration of the character of public work, not only to build more appreciation for it, but also to help those working or seeking work in public service to better understand its context of competing purposes and institutional dynamics. It explores the ideas that undergird these tensions and traces the effects of their interaction on the many practices that comprise American public administration. The chapter focuses on American systems of democratic governance, rather than just the American national system, in order to highlight the incredible scope of administrative practices and the plurality of jurisdictions and organizations—the vast majority of which are small and local in character. In their role as democratic stewards, career public servants help maintain the legitimacy of our democratic institutions, including those in the private and nonprofit sectors as well as institutions that sit somewhere in between. Career administrators play an important role in redefining what democratic governance means.
