Cooperation between the public and voluntary sectors is not a new
phenomenon but was already common in the nineteenth century. Then
as now, the boundaries between the two sectors were not clearly defined.
The extent of interpenetration and shared activities has been underesti
mated or ignored by many, but there is abundant evidence to suggest
that nineteenth-century Americans did not hesitate to request and use
governmental help, just as government had no qualms about using pri
vate organizations to carry out many of its welfare responsibilities. All
levels of government (local, state, and federal) were involved in various
relationships with voluntary organizations. Selected data to support this
proposition are presented. This commingling of public and private sector
activities has become a characteristic of American society, but the concern
over the relationship between these sectors persists. Possible reasons for
this continuing concern, as well as implications for contemporary welfare
issues, are explored.
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