Foundations of Public Administration and Government Structure

Spoils System (Patronage)

• Awarded government positions based on political loyalty rather than merit prior to reform

• Assassination of President Garfield

• Catalyzed national civil service reform after President Garfield was assassinated by Charles Guiteau, a disappointed office seeker.

• Pendleton Civil Service Reform Act of 1883:

• Replaced the spoils system with a merit-based civil service using competitive examinations and technical qualification requirements.

• Woodrow Wilson's The Study of Administration (1887):

• Formulated the Politics-Administration Dichotomy, arguing that politics (elected policy setting) and administration (technical business-like execution) should remain functionally distinct yet constitutionally connected.

• Cabinet Departments:

• 15 primary executive departments headed by Secretaries (except the DOJ, headed by the Attorney General).

• Independent Agencies:

• Entities outside Cabinet structures focused on specialized missions (e.g., NASA, SSA).

• Regulatory Commissions:

• Bipartisan multi-member boards exercising quasi-legislative and quasi-judicial authority over specific sectors (e.g., FCC, SEC).

• Government Corporations

• Market-oriented public entities charging user fees for services (e.g., USPS).

• Core Functions:

• Rulemaking, adjudication, and operational service delivery.