I examine how US federal agencies can manage their image among the public. I suggest that people evaluate the fairness of behaviors during a public meeting to determine agency legitimacy and further translate beliefs about legitimacy to collaborative actions with the agency. Results from a vignette survey experiment indicate that learning about agency behaviors only deleteriously contributes to legitimacy evaluations but that beliefs about legitimacy positively predict willingness to cooperate with and empower the agency. Collectively, the findings suggest that fair procedures do not ultimately motivate the public to act collaboratively with agencies. Should agencies seek to improve their standing with the public, they must identify relevant qualities or behaviors that contribute to positive assessments.