How public is public administration ? A constitutional approach of publicness

Both in Public Administration and in practice, there is a loss of the concept of public. A view became dominant in which markets were superior to governments and public to private. Not only did the esteem of the public sphere diminish, but also its significance in our reasoning and teaching. It became less clear what the public sphere stood for. In this contribution, renewed attention for the concept and for related concepts like public interest and public values is asked for. Attention for these concepts should stimulate the reflection of our students on the relevance of the publicness of public administration, the relevance of the public sphere, the discussions about these subjects and of the study they follow. We should do so because this theme is crucial for our discipline and what it can deliver in education.