Administrators and Citizenship

Abstract

Current concern with founding the legitimacy of the administrative enterprise in a revitalized idea of the public interest leads us to a consideration of the meaning of citizenship in contemporary society. Our constitution, given its liberalist legacy, provides an inadequate appreciation of the collective grounding of society and leaves us bereft of a basis for full citizenship. This article compares classical formulations of citizenship to liberalist ideas and suggests possible directions for exploring alternative conceptions of society that offer a richer possibility for citizenship and overcome the deficiencies of liberalism.