The Civil Service The Merit System The Spoils System

A concise and lucid treatise on the history and principles of the American civil service, with special emphasis on the conflict between merit-based appointments and patronage politics. Argues in favor of an efficient and professional bureaucracy as the foundation of good governance and public trust. A timely and relevant contribution to the ongoing debate on government reform and accountability. This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work is in the "public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.