The Challenge of Government: Public Value Is Unknowable

Government is a process in which officials use public authority to require citizens to change their behaviour to promote outcomes that will benefit society as a whole (public value). However, where there is respect for people and people are heterogeneous, it is not possible to know which actions in government will (or will not) add to public value with sufficient confidence to justify the use of public authority. The best that is possible are opinions about what will benefit the public and opinions are not sufficient. Unknowability is demonstrated by reference to all possible forms of ‘the public.’ Unknowability does not mean that government is impossible. Instead it means that officials must attend to appropriate processes including consultation, deliberation, democracy and the rule of law.