| Sumario: | The field of public administration has assumed an impoverished definition of “profession,” one that ultimately undermines legitimate and effective governance. For public administration to be perceived as a professional calling, it must be seen as being centered on democratic governance rather than techniques of policy implementation. Furthermore, the graduate education of public administrators must train them to become institutional leaders, as well as technically professional managers vested with public purposes and technically proficient managers. Other aspects of professionalism can be acquired through periodic training programs and a career-long process of learning. Several works that develop the political roles of public administrators are drawn on to tie a conception of professionalism to constitutional politics rather than specialized managerial knowledge.
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