Every time control of the U.S. presidency is passed from one party to another, the entire top layer of the executive branch changes. Thousands of men and women take down their pictures, pack up their desks, and move back into private life, just as others dust off their pictures and move in. The U.S. stands alone in this respect. Nearly every other advanced democracy is managed-save for elected officials and a few top aides-by an elite cadre of top civil servants selected by highly competitive examinations. Hudleston and Boyer tell the story of U.S. efforts to develop higher civil service, beginning with the Eisenhower administration and culminating in the passage of the Civil Service Reform Act of 1978. Arguing that the highly-politicized U.S. system simply hasn't worked, they examine why and how reform efforts have failed and offer a series of recommendations for the future.

Considers S. 2712, to amend provisions of law relating to longevity step increases for postal employees.

Across the globe, governments are ending civil service as we know it. This volume presents the newest research that explores efforts to replace civil service systems with more flexible, non-tenured systems. Featuring both original and previously published essays by many of the leading practitioners and professors in the field of public administration, Radical Reform of the Civil Service asks big questions. Is radical reform of public bureaucracy needed? What is the scope of these reforms? What are the dangers of reform and why is it happening now? The essays in this book should be read by anyone interested in the future of public management.