Scholars and practitioners have long debated what role
the public should play in public management. When
members of the public interact with the administrative
side of government, should they be treated as customers, as
citizens, or in some other manner? This article takes as its
premise that members of the public assume three principal
roles relative to public management: as customers, as
partners, and as citizens. After placing these roles in the
context of the history of public administration, the article
draws from recent research to recommend guidelines for
how public managers can work eff ectively with the public
in these several capacities.