QoG lunch seminar with Chong-Min Park

Abstract: 

We propose a conceptual framework for describing and comparing national civil service systems at the operational level. We distinguish four modes of public employment – bureaucratization, professionalization, politicization, and marketization – based on different patterns of control over recruitment and career development. We argue that national civil service systems can reflect different combinations of these competing modes of public employment. By using cross-national data, we illustrate the potential usefulness or relevance of the conceptual framework for comparing national civil service systems. We conclude that further research is needed to explain national differences in civil service systems and their effects on state administration.