Patronage in Illinois: The Political Subjugation of Public Administration

Abstract

A series of court cases banned patronage except for leadership and confidential positions. In Cook County and Chicago, the Shakman Decree required the establishment of an antipatronage staffing system to ensure that political considerations did not enter into staffing decisions. Despite the court prohibitions and the antipatronage staffing systems, patronage continued to flourish. A number of unethical and illegal violations included falsifying exam scores and interviews, demanding political contributions for jobs and contracts, and covering up wrongdoing. These patronage abuses led to successful criminal prosecution of a number of individuals. Political influence had a corrupting effect on the government bureaucracy. At a time when many public personnel systems are moving toward at-will employment systems to provide flexibility and responsiveness to the political leaders, this direction might not be in the public’s best interest.