The subject which I have chosen is not one that it is possible to discuss adequately, much less exhaust, in a short paper. I believe, however, that it is fast becoming one of the major fundamental problems of democracies. With a world-wide challenge confronting democratic institutions, no one can feel complacent about our political future in the broad sense, and no amount of wishful or traditional thinking will replace serious reconsideration of some aspects of government as we understand it.

It might be appropriate to start with a few definitions. It is relatively easy to find a comprehensive definition of the term “public administration.” A former president of the United States, some fifty years ago, defined it as “a detailed and systematic execution of public law.” Leonard D. White, in his book Introduction to the Study of Public Administration, writes: “In its broadest sense, public administration consists of all those operations having for their purpose the fulfillment or enforcement of public policy, as declared by the competent authorities.”

It is not so easy, however, to obtain agreement as to what exactly represents public interest as applied to public administration. In a democracy, the public must reach wide agreement on the duties to be performed by government; or in other words, the objectives of public policy must correspond fairly well with public views concerning the proper functions which should belong to governmental activity. Otherwise the efficient administration of these functions becomes almost a practical impossibility. But the word public is difficult to encompass in a restrictive definition. It is composed of individuals, groups, institutions with different ideals, philosophies, and interests. Consequently, public interest must necessarily represent a working compromise and be subject to continuous redefinition, as need arises, in the process of achieving an often delicate balance among conflicting interests.