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Much theory in public administration assumes that citizens are, or should be, deeply involved in public affairs. However, most people are not involved in public discourse, leaving them vulnerable to actions taken by the small percentage of the population who do participate. Public administrators are key actors in shaping perceptions of which problems should rise to the public agenda, what action alternatives are available, and how implementation of programmatic decisions affects members' of the public. In this role, they are a remaining buffer between public action and potentially disruptive or damaging impacts on private lives. The paper suggests that in adopting an antiadministrative stance toward administrative action, public professionals might exercise imagination as a means of protecting private lives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]