000			01405pab a2200169 454500
008			180718b2014 xxu||||| |||| 00| 0 eng d
100			_aJacobs, Lawrence R.
245			_aThe contested politics of public value
260			_c2014
300			_ap.480-494.
362			_aJul-Aug
520			_aThe emerging field of public values helpfully focuses on the norms and government policies that serve the public interest, but its analysis neglects the barriers to actually creating public value in contemporary America. Chief among these barriers are contending strains of public beliefs and opinions, the disproportionate influence of affluent individuals and business and professional associations, as well as governing structures predisposed toward inaction and drift. This article contrasts the expectations of the public values field with research on American politics to identify barriers to advancing the public interest under current conditions. Although public values scholars offer an analysis of American public life that is inadequate, they do raise challenging questions about how a public-regarding agenda can be "designed in" to politics and policy. The article concludes by suggesting feasible reforms to improve the conditions for pursuing the public interest. - Reproduced.
650			_aPublic administration
773			_aPublic Administration Review
908			_aN
909			_a105386
999			_c105381 _d105381