American Public Service: Radical Reform and the Merit System

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ISBN: 9780849305344 | 0849305349
Cover: Hardcover
Copyright: 10/4/2006

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Understanding the effects of radical change on public personnel systems is critically important both now and in the future to all those interested in the quality of American democracy. Civil service reform is occurring at all levels of government both in the United States and abroad.American Public Service: Radical Reform and the Merit System is a collection of papers that examine the innovations, strategies, and issues found in the contemporary civil service reform debate. Offering diverse perspectives from expert contributors, this book presents matters concerning radical reform and the merit system at the federal, state, and local levels of government.This volume offers fresh insight into the effects of merit system changes on employees. Divided into four sections, this book…· Examines a portrait of contemporary reforms from across the country and concepts to interpret those data· Addresses whether the relaxation of civil service protections against partisan intrusion will result in corruption· Provides examples of ongoing changes and analyzes survey data from state managers· Discusses a variety of key issues, such as the impact on racial inequality of moving from a protected class employment status to an unprotected at-will relationshipThe book provides a baseline of data on reforms as well as an account of their current promises and pitfalls. Covering topics ripped from the headlines, this text also identifies pressing issues and makes suggestions for the future. Offering a variety of methodological approaches, it is ideal for all those interested in effective governance.

About the Editors

xvii

Contributors

xix

Acknowledgments

xxi

Introduction

xxiii

Part 1 Merit Systems in Flux

(74)

1 Changes in State Civil Service Systems: A National Survey

(22)

Steven W. Hays and Jessica E. Sowa

Introduction

(1)

Reforming the Personnel Function: Previous Research

(2)

Methodology

(1)

Findings: Current Trends in the Transformation of the Modern Civil Service

(8)

Decentralization (Reinvention) of HRM

(1)

The "Declassification" of Civil Servants

(1)

Restrictions on Due Process Rights

(2)

Activist Governors

(1)

Discussion and Conclusion

(5)

References

(2)

Appendix

(4)

HR Reform Interview Template

(3)

2 Framing Civil Service Innovations: Assessing State and Local Government Reforms

(22)

R. Paul Battaglio, Jr. and Stephen E. Condrey

Four Models of Human Resource Management Service Delivery

(15)

Radical Reform: The Case of Georgia

(3)

More Radical Reform: Florida and Service First

(3)

A Collaborative Approach: Modernizing the New York Civil Service

(3)

The Executive as Initiator of Strategic Reform: The Case of Louisiana

(2)

The Courts as an Initiator of Reform: The Unique Case of the Personnel Board of Jefferson County, Alabama

(2)

HRM in Chapel Hill, North Carolina: A Case for Best Practices

(1)

Conclusions and Implications

(2)

Acknowledgments

(1)

References

(4)

3 At-Will Employment: Origins, Applications, Exceptions, and Expansions in Public Service

(28)

Sally C. Gertz

Introduction

(1)

The Origin of Employment at Will

(2)

Exceptions to Employment at Will

(4)

Statutory Exceptions

(1)

Judicial Exceptions

(3)

Applications of Contemporary Employment at Will: Criticisms, Defenses, Reforms

(7)

Criticisms

(3)

Defenses

(2)

Reforms

(2)

Expanding Employment at Will to Classified Civil Servants: The Constitutional Issues

(2)

Procedural Due Process and Taking Claims

(1)

Impairment of Contract

(1)

Substantive Due Process, Equal Protection Clause

(1)

Expanding Employment at Will to Classified Civil Servants: Reducing the Transparency of Government by Eliminating Due Process

(2)

Conclusion

(5)

Acknowledgments

(1)

Endnotes

(5)

Part II Is Patronage a Problem?

(46)

4 Bringing Back Boss Tweed: Could at-Will Employment Work in State and Local Government and, if So, Where?

(24)

Robert Maranto and Jeremy Johnson

Introduction

(1)

The Case for Reforming the U.S. Civil Service

(2)

Why What Works in Washington May Not Play in Philadelphia: A Political Theory of State Public Personnel Reform

(3)

Patronage Demand Variables

(1)

Political Environmental Variables

(1)

Bureaucratic Capacity

(1)

The Best and Worse States for Civil Service Reform

(4)

Patronage Demand Variables

(3)

Political Environmental Variables

(1)

Summary Measures: Which States Rank Where?

(5)

Discussion

(5)

Acknowledgments

(1)

References

(4)

5 The Demonization of Patronage: Folk Devils and the Boston Globe's Coverage of the 9/11 Terrorist Attacks

101

(20)

Domonic A. Bearfield

Introduction

101

(1)

Folk Devils and Moral Panics

102

(3)

The Patronage Folk Devil

103

(1)

Boston and Patronage

104

(1)

Moral Panic: Massport and the Boston Globe's Coverage after 9/11

105

(9)

The Case of the Convenient Whipping Boy

106

(3)

Analysis

109

(5)

Conclusion

114

(2)

Acknowledgments

116

(1)

Endnotes

116

(5)

Part III State Cases of Civil Service Reform

121

(72)

6 Ending Civil Service Protections in Florida Government: Experiences in State Agencies

123

(28)

James S. Bowman and Jonathan P. West

Introduction

123

(1)

Scholarly Literature and Background Material

124

(3)

Scholarly Literature

124

(1)

Background Material

125

(2)

Methodology

127

(2)

Findings

129

(12)

Transportation

129

(5)

Environmental Protection

134

(4)

Department of Children and Families

138

(3)

Comparing Survey and Case Data

141

(1)

Conclusion

142

(2)

Endnotes

144

(3)

Appendix 1 Department of Transportation Terminations

147

(1)

Appendix 2 Human Resource Unit in Transition at the Department of Environmental Protection

148

(1)

Appendix 3 Terminations at Department of Children and Families

149

(2)

7 At-Will Employment in Government: Its Impact in the State of Texas

151

(24)

Jerrell D. Coggburn

Introduction

151

(2)

HR in Texas State Government

153

(1)

Survey of State HR Directors

154

(13)

Findings and Analysis

154

(13)

Discussion

167

(3)

Implications of Survey Findings

167

(1)

Additional Perspectives

168

(2)

Conclusion

170

(1)

References

171

(2)

Endnotes

173

(2)

8 The Attraction to at-Will Employment in Utah Governments

175

(18)

Richard Green, Robert Forbis, Jennifer Robinson, Stephen Nelson, Jennifer Seelig, and Angela Stefaniak

Introduction

175

(2)

Methodology

177

(1)

Findings and Analysis

178

(10)

Understanding at-Will Public Employment

181

(1)

Accountability and at-Will Employment

182

(1)

Discipline and Dismissal

183

(2)

The Role of Employee Motivation

185

(2)

Views on Expanding at-Will Employment in Utah

187

(1)

Conclusion

188

(3)

Endnotes

191

(1)

References

191

(2)

Part IV Future Reform Issues

193

(62)

9 Dissin' the Deadwood or Coddling the Incompetents? Patterns and Issues in Employee Discipline and Dismissal in the States

195

(24)

Richard C. Elling and Lyke Thompson

Introduction

195

(1)

Employee Dismissal Evidence

196

(1)

Patterns of State Employee Dismissal: The 20-State Study

197

(4)

Dealing with Problem Employees: The Views of State Managers

201

(2)

Determinants of Dismissal Rates and the Severity of Dismissal as a Management Impediment

203

(4)

Civil Service Coverage and Dismissal Rates

203

(1)

Simplification of the Disciplinary Process and Dismissal Rates

204

(1)

Collective Bargaining and Dismissal

205

(2)

Implications for Dismissal Practices and Civil Service Reforms

207

(3)

The Dilemmas of at-Will Employment

210

(4)

Endnotes

214

(5)

10 At-Will Employment and Racial Equality in the Public Sector: The Demise of a Niche?

219

(1)

George Wilson

Introduction

219

(1)

The Public Sector as a Niche for African Americans

220

(3)

The Nature and Benefits of Work in the Public Sector

223

(2)

Working in the Public Sector

223

(1)

Benefits of Working in the Public Sector

224

(1)

The Rise of at-Will Employment in the Public Sector

225

(1)

Disproportionate Impact of at-Will Employment Policy by Race

226

(2)

At-Will Employment and Job Dismissals

226

(2)

At-Will Employment and Social Psychological Benefits

228

(1)

Conclusion

228

(1)

Acknowledgments

229

(1)

References

229

(4)

11 Federal Labor-Management Relations under George W. Bush: Enlightened Management or Political Retribution?

233

(1)

James R. Thompson

History of Labor-Management Relations in the Federal Government

234

(3)

Creating a New Personnel System for the Department of Homeland Security

237

(2)

Creating a New Personnel System for the Department of Defense

239

(1)

Unions and Organizational Performance

240

(5)

High-Performance Work Systems and Unions

241

(2)

The Clinton Management Strategy

243

(1)

The Bush Management Strategy

244

(1)

"Taking Charge of Federal Personnel"

245

(1)

Outcomes of the Bush Labor Relations Strategy

246

(4)

Problematic Program Implementation

247

(1)

Hostile Labor-Management Environment

247

(1)

Increased Litigiousness

248

(2)

Conclusion

250

(1)

Endnotes

250

(5)

Index

255

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American Public Service: Radical Reform and the Merit System

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