Perchè la cura ha bisogno di fiducia e integrità

This chapter examines the relationship between care, trust and integrity in public administration. It argues that administrative action cannot be reduced to the formal implementation of legal rules, since the effective protection of rights often requires choices and actions that take place in the space between abstract regulation and the concrete circumstances of individuals. In this space, an ethics of care can guide public officials in identifying and removing factual obstacles that prevent people from fully enjoying their rights. Trust plays a crucial role in this perspective, as public administration must recognise and value the professional judgement, responsibility and individual contribution of those who work within it. At the same time, greater discretion and relational responsibility require a strong commitment to integrity, impartiality and independence. The chapter therefore presents trust and integrity not as opposing principles, but as mutually reinforcing conditions for a care-oriented administration capable of combining legality with the effective realisation of constitutional rights.