American public administration did not invent the concept of a creating a public service that would be
based on merit. Would-be reformers of American government in the late nineteenth century not only
borrowed from the European experience but also were fond of noting that possessing such systems
was an essential step in “enlightenment” for the United States if it was to develop as a civilized nation.
The first real steps toward creating a modern state of public administration in the United States were
taken following the Civil War and at the heart was the struggle to limit the spoils system of rewarding
political party members with government job appointments as opposed to establishing a civil service
system where appointments and tenure were based on merit.8