civil service reform

(noun)

Civil service reform is a deliberate action to improve the efficiency, effectiveness, professionalism, representation and democratic character of a bureaucracy, with a view to promoting better delivery of public goods and services, with increased accountability.

Related Terms

Examples of civil service reform in the following topics:

  • Bureaucratic Reform

    • The five important civil service reforms were the two Tenure of Office Acts of 1820 and 1867, the Pendleton Act of 1883, the Hatch Acts (1939 and 1940), and the Civil Service Reform Act (CSRA) of 1978.
    • In 1801, President Thomas Jefferson, alarmed that Federalists dominated the civil service and the army, identified the party affiliation of office holders, and systematically appointed Republicans.
    • The Civil Service Reform Act (the Pendleton Act) is an 1883 federal law that established the United States Civil Service Commission.
    • One result of this reform was more expertise and less politics among members of the civil service.
    • Describe the key moments in the history of bureaucratic reform, including the Tenure of Office Acts, the Pendleton Act, the Hatch Acts, and the Civil Service Reform Acts.

  • Termination

    • Bureaucratic reform includes the history of civil service reform and efforts to curb or eliminate excessive bureaucratic red tape.
    • The Pendleton Civil Service Reform of United States is a federal law established in 1883 that stipulated that government jobs should be awarded on the basis of merit.
    • Civil service reform is a deliberate action to improve the efficiency, effectiveness, professionalism, representation and democratic character of a bureaucracy, with a view to promoting better delivery of public goods and services, with increased accountability.
    • Important differences between developing countries and developed countries require that civil service and other reforms first rolled out in developed countries be carefully adapted to local conditions in developing countries.
    • The Pendleton Civil Service Reform of United States is a federal law established in 1883 that stipulated that government jobs should be awarded on the basis of merit.

  • The Golden Age: 1860–1932

    • In United States history, the Gilded Age was the period following the Civil War, running from the late 1860s to about 1896 when the next era began, the Progressive Era.
    • Reformers worked for civil service reform, prohibition and women's suffrage, while philanthropists built colleges and hospitals, and the many religious denominations exerted a major sway in both politics and everyday life.
    • In the South, lingering resentment over the Civil War meant that most states would vote Democrat.
    • It was dominated by the new Republican Party (also known as the Grand Old Party or GOP), which claimed success in saving the Union, abolishing slavery and enfranchising the freedmen, while adopting many Whiggish modernization programs such as national banks, railroads, high tariffs, homesteads, social spending (such as on greater Civil War veteran pension funding), and aid to land grant colleges.

  • The Reforms of 1995

    • Failing to do so is punishable by a civil fine of up to $50,000.
    • The legislation also includes lobbyists that are affected: "The term "lobbyist" means any individual who is employed or retained by a client for financial or other compensation for services that include more than one lobbying contact, other than an individual whose lobbying activities constitute less than 20 percent of the time engaged in the services provided by such individual to that client over a six month period. " Also included in the legislation are the definitions of what actions must be disclosed, which includes lobbying to certain members of the Executive Branch who are included on specific payrolls.
    • Loopholes: The legislation does not include those lobbyists whose "activities constitute less than 20 percent of the time engaged in services", thus failing to regulate grassroots (small donors) lobbying.
    • Senator Christopher Dodd, while pointing out gaps in the 1995 lobbying reform, was himself implicated in controversy surrounding his role as Chairman of the Senate Banking committee and his relationship with Countrywide Financial
    • Summarize the content and effectiveness of the lobbying reforms of 1995

  • Civil Rights of People with Disabilities

    • Disabled Americans face limited access to public places and institutions that civil rights legislation seeks to address.
    • The disability rights movement became organized in the 1960s, concurrent with the African-American civil rights movement and feminist movement.
    • Prior to the 1960s, individual disability groups had advocated for social reform; schools for the deaf and blind were organized as early as 1817, and the American Federation of the Physically Handicapped was formed in 1940 to advocate on behalf of people with physical limitations.
    • The act provided comprehensive civil rights protections modeled after the Civil Rights Act.
    • The act also mandated the accessibility of public transportation, communication, and other publicly provided services.

  • Lobbying Scandals and the Reforms of 2007

    • Requires lobbyist disclosures in both the Senate and House to be filed electronically and requires creation of a public searchable Internet database of such information.Increases civil penalty for knowing and willful violations of the Lobby Disclosure Act from 200,000 and imposes a criminal penalty of up to five years for knowing and corrupt failure to comply with the Act.
    • Unlike previous lobbying regulations, the 2007 reforms also made an attempt to amend House ethics rules in the following ways:
    • As the former Under Secretary of Agriculture for Food, Nutrition, and Consumer Services and lobbyist for the Podesta Group in 2009, Ellen Haas represents the revolving door phenomenon that the 2007 lobbying reforms sought to address.

  • Liberalism

    • At that time conservatives adopted the Classic Liberal beliefs in protecting economic civil liberties.
    • Conversely social liberals adopted the Classical Liberal belief in defending social civil liberties.
    • Conservatism shares an ideological agreement on limited government in the area of preventing government restriction against economic civil liberties as embodied in the ability of people to sell their goods, services or labor to anyone they choose free from restriction except in rare cases where society's general welfare is at stake.
    • Social democracy, an ideology advocating progressive reform of capitalism, emerged in the 20th century and was influenced by socialism.
    • Later waves of liberal thought were strongly influenced by the need to expand civil rights.

  • Immigration Reform

    • Senate passed the Comprehensive Immigration Reform Act of 2006.
    • In 2009, immigration reform became a hot topic as the Obama administration signaled interest in beginning a discussion on comprehensive immigration reform.
    • The proposed comprehensive immigration reform plan had as its goal bipartisan support.
    • In 2009, services provided to illegal immigrants, including incarceration, cost the state of Arizona an estimated $2.7 billion.
    • These groups have identified several issues that threaten the due process rights of immigrants, including reliance on low quality videoconferencing to conduct hearings, inadequate language interpretation services for non-English speakers, and limited access to court records.

  • Welfare Reform

    • In July 2012, the Department of Health and Human Services released a memo notifying states that they are able to apply for a waiver for the work requirements of the TANF program, but only if states were also able to find credible ways to increase employment by 20%.
    • Welfare reform refers to improving how a nation helps those citizens in poverty.
    • In 1996, under the Bill Clinton administration, Congress passed the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act, which gave more control of the welfare system to the states though there are basic requirements the states need to meet with regards to welfare services .
    • The reforms were "widely applauded" after "bitter protest. " The Times called the reform "one of the few undisputed triumphs of American government in the past 20 years. "
    • Describe the features of the Welfare Reform Act of 1996 under President Bill Clinton

  • Equality

    • Social equality must include equal rights under the law, such as security , voting rights, freedom of speech and assembly, property rights, and equal access to social goods and services.
    • Within the United States, racial and gender equality issues have been particularly prevalent and the catalyst for much social and political reform through the work of the feminist and civil rights movements.