Models of Public Management: Are They Useful to Federal Managers in the 1980s?

Abstract

Definition of proper relationships between the career bureaucracy and political leadership is one of the enduring problems of public administration. Several models which seek to describe these relationships have emerged in literature and debate, but they have seldom been tested empirically. It is clear, however, that serious differences which distinguish various models can be evaluated. Because these conflicting role prescriptions have important implications for both career managers and political executives, such empirical tests are needed. Two recent developments highlighted and altered the nature of career-political relationships in the United States national government. The first was the introduction in 1978 of the Senior Executive Service (SES); the second was the election and re-election of Ronald Reagan. In this analysis, the major models which are present in public administration literature are described and tested, using survey and personal interview data, against current realities of public management in the federal service.