What is Public interest?
'''Public interest''' is a term meaning something that [[wikt:benefit|benefit]]s all the people.<ref name=WFI>{{cite web |url=http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/public-interest.html |title=public interest |author= |date= |work= |publisher=WebFinance, Inc. |accessdate=8 February 2015 |archive-date=7 January 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150107005446/http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/public-interest.html |url-status=dead }}</ref> This is compared to a [[wikt:personal|personal]] interest that only benefits one person. Something that is in the public interest is something that concerns the general public. It is something governments [[wikt:recognize|recognize]], [[wikt:protect|protect]] and [[wikt:serve|serve]].<ref name=WFI/> [[Thomas Aquinas]] stated the purpose of [[government]] and the [[law]] was to serve the “common good” ({{lang-la|bonum commune}}), meaning the public interest.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://publicinterest.info/?q=public-interest-political-philosophy-and-study-public-administration|title=Public Interest, Political Philosophy and the Study of Public Administration|author=|date=|work=|publisher=Public Interest in UK Courts|accessdate=8 February 2015|archive-date=6 March 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150306210620/http://publicinterest.info/?q=public-interest-political-philosophy-and-study-public-administration|url-status=dead}}</ref> The term can also be [[wikt:vague|vague]] in its use. For example, 'public interest' can be used by governments for the purpose of state [[secrecy]]. It can also be [[wikt:misuse|misuse]]d to mean something that actually serves private interests.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.icaew.com/en/technical/ethics/the-public-interest |title=The public interest |author= |date= |work= |publisher=ICAEW|accessdate=8 February 2015}}</ref> == References == {{reflist}} [[Category:Law]] [[Category:Politics]] {{politics-stub}}