American Public Service: Radical Reform and the Merit System

by Bowman; James S.

• ISBN13: 9780849305344
• ISBN10: 0849305349
• Edition: 1st
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2006-10-04
• Publisher: Routledge

Summary

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.

Table of Contents

About the Editors	xvii
Contributors	xix
Acknowledgments	xxi
Introduction	xxiii
Part 1 Merit Systems in Flux	1	(74)
1 Changes in State Civil Service Systems: A National Survey	3	(22)
Steven W. Hays and Jessica E. Sowa
Introduction	3	(1)
Reforming the Personnel Function: Previous Research	4	(2)
Methodology	6	(1)
Findings: Current Trends in the Transformation of the Modern Civil Service	7	(8)
Decentralization (Reinvention) of HRM	10	(1)
The "Declassification" of Civil Servants	11	(1)
Restrictions on Due Process Rights	12	(2)
Activist Governors	14	(1)
Discussion and Conclusion	15	(5)
References	20	(2)
Appendix	22	(4)
HR Reform Interview Template	22	(3)
2 Framing Civil Service Innovations: Assessing State and Local Government Reforms	25	(22)
R. Paul Battaglio, Jr. and Stephen E. Condrey
Four Models of Human Resource Management Service Delivery	26	(15)
Radical Reform: The Case of Georgia	27	(3)
More Radical Reform: Florida and Service First	30	(3)
A Collaborative Approach: Modernizing the New York Civil Service	33	(3)
The Executive as Initiator of Strategic Reform: The Case of Louisiana	36	(2)
The Courts as an Initiator of Reform: The Unique Case of the Personnel Board of Jefferson County, Alabama	38	(2)
HRM in Chapel Hill, North Carolina: A Case for Best Practices	40	(1)
Conclusions and Implications	41	(2)
Acknowledgments	43	(1)
References	43	(4)
3 At-Will Employment: Origins, Applications, Exceptions, and Expansions in Public Service	47	(28)
Sally C. Gertz
Introduction	47	(1)
The Origin of Employment at Will	48	(2)
Exceptions to Employment at Will	50	(4)
Statutory Exceptions	51	(1)
Judicial Exceptions	51	(3)
Applications of Contemporary Employment at Will: Criticisms, Defenses, Reforms	54	(7)
Criticisms	54	(3)
Defenses	57	(2)
Reforms	59	(2)
Expanding Employment at Will to Classified Civil Servants: The Constitutional Issues	61	(2)
Procedural Due Process and Taking Claims	61	(1)
Impairment of Contract	62	(1)
Substantive Due Process, Equal Protection Clause	63	(1)
Expanding Employment at Will to Classified Civil Servants: Reducing the Transparency of Government by Eliminating Due Process	63	(2)
Conclusion	65	(5)
Acknowledgments	70	(1)
Endnotes	70	(5)
Part II Is Patronage a Problem?	75	(46)
4 Bringing Back Boss Tweed: Could at-Will Employment Work in State and Local Government and, if So, Where?	77	(24)
Robert Maranto and Jeremy Johnson
Introduction	77	(1)
The Case for Reforming the U.S. Civil Service	78	(2)
Why What Works in Washington May Not Play in Philadelphia: A Political Theory of State Public Personnel Reform	80	(3)
Patronage Demand Variables	81	(1)
Political Environmental Variables	82	(1)
Bureaucratic Capacity	82	(1)
The Best and Worse States for Civil Service Reform	83	(4)
Patronage Demand Variables	83	(3)
Political Environmental Variables	86	(1)
Summary Measures: Which States Rank Where?	87	(5)
Discussion	92	(5)
Acknowledgments	97	(1)
References	97	(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