BOOK REVIEW: MEANINGS OF PUBLIC AND THE FUTURE OF PUBLIC SERVICES

Abstract

David A. McDonald’s book ‘Meanings of Public and the Future of Public Services,’ which addresses the loss of meaning that public services have gone through as a result of neoliberal transformation, provides a theoretical and normative solution. According to the author, the concept of ‘the public’ must be defined not only through state ownership, but also participatory, egalitarian, and common benefits. The book uses Habermas' criticisms on the bourgeois public sphere to bring out the concept’s exclusionary and class-based origin. It focusses on neoliberal approaches that not only encourage privatisation but also reorganise the substance and logic of public services to align with to private sector standards. McDonald suggests that rather than performance ratings or cost-efficiency, the effectiveness of public services should be appraised by value-based metrics like social justice, accessibility, and solidarity. His ‘spider diagram’ paradigm offers multidimensional measurement capabilities in this context. The study additionally analyses ‘re-publicisation’ movements in Europe and Latin America, making the case that by collaborating with non-state actors, the public sector can be reconstructed in a pluralistic way. Nevertheless, the book has limitations such as lack of a workable plan, lack of clarity regarding the role of the state, and the exclusion of several industries. However, McDonald's research offers a solid theoretical framework for anyone wishing to reconsider the future of public services by way of normative principles.