Market-based administrative reform has triggered a debate argument in the public administration field. Some argue that it enhances cost efficiency and customer responsiveness. Others maintain that the public sector is not just a service-producing system delivering “public value” but that it stands for legality, due process, and legal security in addition to being a service provider. The article first compares the impact of market-based reform in Rechtsstaat administrative systems and “public interest” systems. It then discusses the potential democratic downsides to market solutions in the public administration and assesses under what conditions “publicness” can be delegated to private sector organizations.