Abstract

Having such meanings as the actions and acts approved by the majority and deemed right according to religion, law and public conscience, the concept of legitimacy is highly significant for public administration; because public administration is a crucial government body that delivers services needed by citizens on behalf of citizens again. That acts and actions practiced by public administration are approved or deemed right by citizens constitutes the legitimacy of public administration. Legitimacy gains meaning with ethics and justice. It is difficult for the acts and actions conducted by an administration devoid of ethics in general and of justice in particular to be approved by citizens. It prevents citizens from consenting to the activities of public administration as it affects trust in public administration in a negative way. Turkish public administration faces the problem of legitimacy which has a historical aspect. The problem of legitimacy appears through the activities of public administration sometimes, and the failure of public administration to wield its power to provide services uninterruptedly in line with its purpose at other times. In light of this information, this study first investigates the concept of legitimacy. Then, it explains how legitimacy is a problem for Turkish public management, and discusses the role of ethics and justice in overcoming the problem of legitimacy.