The Fragility of Merit by J Edward Kellough

The Fragility of Merit by J Edward Kellough

While the operation and structure of the public workforce is not a matter that is on the minds of most, the consequences for the nature and effectiveness of government are substantial. The Fragility of Merit provides a detailed examination of the importance of a professionally competent and politically neutral public service. Illustrating the fundamental fragility of the federal civil service in the United States and the underlying concept of merit in public employment, J. Edward Kellough demonstrates how a particular view of presidential power grounded in unitary executive theory was used during Donald J. Trump’s term in office. Specifically, he reviews various efforts to subordinate the public workforce to presidential authority and explains how those actions threatened to undermine bureaucratic expertise that is desperately needed in government. The Fragility of Merit makes a persuasive case for protecting the civil service and for rebuilding a national consensus in favor of merit in public employment. It will benefit researchers, academics, students, and others with an interest in public administration, public personnel management, government, and bureaucracy.

This book is very timely given the deep division in how Americans view our political system and how much or how little they value people who work in political environmentsCivil service systems have long protected government employees, who at times, work in highly charged political environments. Dr. Kellough explores the evolution of the federal civil service system and reforms over the past few years as he traces the partisan effort to dismantle the federal workforce.

Doug Goodman, Professor of Public Administration, University of Central Florida

J. Edward Kellough is the Thomas P. and M. Jean Lauth Professor of Public Affairs at the University of Georgia where he serves as Head of the Department of Public Administration and Policy. Dr. Kellough specializes primarily in the field of public-sector human resources management. He is an elected Fellow of the National Academy of Public Administration, has served as President of the Network of Schools of Public Policy, Affairs, and Administration (NASPAA), and has served as Chair of the Section on Public Administration of the American Political Science Association and as Chair of the American Society for Public Administration, Section of Personnel and Labor Relations and the Section on Public Administration Education.

SKU	Unavailable
ISBN 13	9781032656342
ISBN 10	1032656344
Title	The Fragility of Merit
Author	J Edward Kellough
Condition	Unavailable
Binding Type	Paperback
Publisher	Taylor & Francis Ltd
Year published	2024-11-12
Number of pages	140
Cover note	Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary.