What Is The Public? A Pragmatic Analysis of a Core Concept in Public Administration.

This article focuses on John Dewey’s pragmatic theory of the public within the field of public administration, analyzing how publics emerge from the indirect consequences of social interactions that prompt collective or state action. Dewey’s concept defines the public as a dynamic, relational phenomenon arising when private transactions produce effects on others, necessitating regulation and the organization of state authority, thereby explaining the emergence of the state and the role of public officials as agents of affected stakeholders. The theory is contrasted with other traditions such as public choice and institutional economics, highlighting Dewey’s emphasis on interdependence and communities of inquiry rather than methodological individualism. The article further extends Dewey’s theory by integrating contemporary complexity science and network analysis, framing the pragmatic public as an emergent property of complex social systems that can be studied through relational methods. This framework offers a pluralistic yet coherent foundation for understanding public problems, public value creation, and the evolving role of public leadership in democratic governance.