
152 ◾ Logics of Legitimacy
sought to increase direct democratic participation, albeit through voting mecha-
nisms. Alternatively, as noted by Stivers (2000), the Settlement Women sought
to reform government by making it more in the likeness of a home—a relational
collectivity. ey oered a phenomenological and pragmatic way to think about
public life, democracy, and the place of administration within it. ey sought new
programs to improve living conditions and promoted a purpose of caring that
would humanize governance processes and make government more accessible and
connected to the people served. e public interest would be