2016/10/03 by David P. Moura, David Moura, Hugh T. Miller · 1 citation
Business, Management and Accounting · Social Sciences · #Management and Organizational Studies #Public Policy and Administration Research #Regulation and Compliance Studies
paper · doi:10.1177/0095399716670934
openalex publication_date 2016/10/03 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/31
Public administration scholarship has a long-standing tradition of examining the legitimacy of public administration. One of the motives behind this literature is the necessity to defend against constant criticisms directed toward public administration research, theory, and practice. In this article, we shift the focus from defending public administration by conceptualizing and accepting it as an illegitimate and stigmatized institution—one that cannot and should not rid itself of this label. Accepting and presupposing this label of illegitimacy, independent from any particular definition of legitimacy, allows scholars and practitioners to focus on creating new knowledge and performing professional responsibilities.