Government matters More Than Ever: Toward Respect for Government in an Increasingly Privatized World

Abstract

This article argues that, in our rapidly changing, increasingly complex worId, govemment matters. It always has and arguably now matters more than ever largely because of the context within which we live — a context in which more than two decades of govemment bashing have taken their toll on pride and capacity in public service, leaving an emusculaled public actor to deal with the immense challenges of today's world. To make this argument the historical shifts of perspecitve on government and the marketplace are describe along with the changes occurring so rapidly in our world. Second, the impact of the recent shift to a pro-marketplace bias and the impacts of globalization. interdependence and increased tribulism on governments and on public administration are described. Finally, some key challenges facing public administration as a result of these changes are discussed.