01554pab a2200133 454500008004000000100002200040245007600062260000900138300001200147362000800159520118300167650001801350773005201368180718b1998   xxu||||| |||| 00| 0 eng d  aHaque, M. Shamsul  aLegitimation crisis: a challenge for public service in the next century  c1998  ap.13-26  aMar  aThe main contention of this article is that the most critical challenge to the current and future public service is the erosion of its legitimacy or public confidence: such a legitimation or confidence crisis in the public service often causes a decrease in taxpayers' support for its activities, a reduction in its share of financial and human resources to perform various functions and, thus, a decline in its capacity to deal with the critical socio-economic issues and problems cited earlier. This emerging crisis of legitimacy or confidence, however, is likely to worsen due to the recent market-oriented changes in the image, objective, structure, norms, commitment, and performance of the public service within the overall context of promarket policies. This article critically examines how the contemporary market-centered changes in the public service accentuate its legitimation crisis that represents the main critical challenge to its future status and existence. The article concludes by recommending some alternative policies for the revival and maintenance of an adequate degree of public-service legitimacy, especially in terms of strengthening public confidence  aCivil service  aInternational Review of Administrative Sciences