Civil Service Systems: Introduction and Scope of the Book

Abstract

The aim of this book is to compare and contrast the diff erent approaches that exist for organizing the structure and activities of diff erent civil service systems.This task is set within the context of discussing basic theories and frameworks that provide a disciplinary perspective.Furthermore, the book aims to explore some recurring issues and themes with regard to civil service systems and in doing so to compare a selection of diff erent national systems.Accordingly, the book is divided into two parts, with part one consisting of chapters one to fi ve exploring the historical and theoretical context of public administration and public sector management.Issues and perspectives considered here include the Weberian legacy, joined-up government and the hollowed-out state thesis, as well as the debate between Anglo-American infl uenced systems versus the Continental European approach to organizing the civil service.Part two (chapters six to fi fteen) then explore some international comparisons.Clearly this cannot include every system that exists around the globe, so a decision was taken to explore a selection of states taken from the northern and southern hemispheres, North and South America, Africa, Asia, Australia and Europe.Given that these include China, Japan, India and the US, over half the population of the world is represented, but more importantly, so are a selection of mature and emerging administrative systems that start from very diff erent perspectives on what it means to construct a civil service.Each of the country specifi c chapters addresses, in its own way, the historical context of that system, as well as its legal context, accountability structures, basic statistics (in most cases) with regard to size, structures (agencies, central departments and any ad hoc organizations), recent reforms and important issues facing them in the current climate of reform.The chapters also explore the relationship of the civil service system to the other parts of government and the public sector.There is no universally accepted defi nition of civil servant and civil service.The succeeding chapters demonstrate that, in some jurisdictions civil servants include nearly all of a state's civilian employees, for example

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