Public action, in a broad sense, can play a central role in economic development and in bringing social opportunities within the reach of people as a whole. Sometimes public action is characterised in the economic literature as action by the government, not as action by the public itself.

This interpretation can be seriously misleading, as it draws attention away from the influence the public can have in determining the direction of governmental action. Actions of the public can be of profound significance to the successes and failures of economic and social change in general and to development efforts in particular. The role of public activism in influencing government policy can be particularly important in promoting the positive functions of the government.

These positive functions include the provision of public services such as health care, child immunisation, primary education, social security, environmental protection and rural infrastructure. The vigilance and involvement of the public can be crucial not only in ensuring an adequate expansion of these essential services but also in monitoring their functioning. Indeed, the actual reach and effective quality of the services often depends a great deal on the information the local community gathers and the extent to which it can get its voice heard.

The shirking and absenteeism of village teachers, for example, are much more easily observed by the villagers themselves than by government inspectors, and the search for redress can be more effectively achieved with local activism. Besides, schools, hospitals and other facilities can be made more sensitive to public needs if there is local pressure in that direction, better than directions from above.