The Relevance of Publicness in an Era of Democratic Backsliding

This article makes the following fundamental arguments. First, that the importance of democratic governance represents a central priority in modern public administration, particularly given the normative significance of the ‘public’, or what we’ll refer to as ‘publicness’. It is further argued that the case for publicness at the macro-societal level is essential for public administration to sustain its normative and intellectual integrity in meeting the daunting challenges contributing to the erosion of democratic principles and governance. This article begins stating several normative priorities of what publicness at this macro-societal level denote in protecting democratic principles and norms when threatened and undermined. Second, it is argued that the concept of ‘the public’ requires an affirmative role for public administration, which is highlighted in the approaches of the ‘enterprise as a whole’ and the ‘principle of democratic transparency’ in playing a crucial role strengthening the field's civic implications in this era of democratic backsliding. Finally, suggestions for future research are offered, and how both practitioners and academicians might proceed on certain important civic initiatives.