Rules and Governance in the Public Sector: The Case of Civil Service

Though much has been written about the public sector's propensity to impose procedural restrictions on managerial discretion, this propensity is generally viewed as an inherent and fixed characteristic of life in the public sector. This paper challenges that view by looking at the prevalence of civil service systems across U.S. cities. It finds that the likelihood of civil service is quite sensitive to differences in cities' governance structures. This result suggests that structural differences may account for some public-private distinctions that are commonly attributed to attitudinal or historical causes. It also offers support for a view of public organizations as shaped more by political than by efficiency considerations.