Journal of Danubian Studies and Research, Vol 2, No 2 (2012)

Abstract

Traditionally, public administration is considered to be the operative side of government. It
is supposed to include all the activities involved in carrying out the policies of the elected officials
and some activities associated with the development of these policies. In this respect, well-known
authors consider that the Public administration is all that comes after the last election promise and the
election night cheer: the means and ends of government. The complexity of social life, however, has
generated in recent years the appearance of a rationality deficit in the actions of government. It is the
spread of some behaviour patterns that hinder the leadership of the system: rational options are
replaced by investment policy, the administration accepts the behaviours that are substantially
different from the electoral promises. This situation generates dissatisfaction of citizens, declaring
themselves dissatisfied with the activity of the public authorities which, moreover, they have chosen.
The intention of this study is to encourage analytical reflections on how the general public interest is
represented.