No UPSC, No Lifetime Postings: Inside the American Civil Service Model

The Indian Civil Services model is well known across the world and is considered to be one of the toughest examinations to compete for. Every year approximately 10 lakh students apply for around less than a thousand posts, yet the competition remains intense. There is a set model in India for the appointment of the top bureaucrats in the country. The selection process is pre-defined which involves a three-stage process. Those who qualify all the three stages will be eligible to be appointed for the All India Services as well as other Group A Services in the country. The appointed candidates work along with various state governments under various ministries and departments, also as ambassadors, etc. This suggests that the selection procedure is set starting from the first stage, preliminary examination till the appointment to specific cadres. However, on the other side of the globe, in the USA, the picture is altogether different. There is no set examination to appoint the top bureaucrats in the country. There is no fixed process, no permanent employment, and no selection on fixed lines.

American Model of Selecting Bureaucracy

America follows a different model when it comes to bureaucracy. There is no standard examination process and the bureaucrats are selected on the whims and fancies of the President. Though the American model is different from the Indian one, they have maintained a great balance between the leadership and the bureaucracy. We have often seen in the reports that when a new President walks into the White House, there is a reshuffle at the top levels of the government. When the Presidential elections are over, the newly appointed President has the authority to appoint top level officers such as Cabinet Secretaries, Deputy Secretaries, Ambassadors, Policy Advisors, etc.

American President Can Appoint a Good Number of Officials

There are approximately 4000 federal positions in the government which are required to be filled by the President. This means that the American President has a stronghold on the top bureaucratic level appointments. This also means that these officers serve at the pleasure of the President, which means as long as the President wants them, they remain in their offices and the President can remove them any time at his own will. Also, when there is an administration change happening, the new President usually comes up with his own selected employees. There is a Plum Book in the US, which is a United States Government Policy and Supporting Positions document enlisting the positions available at various levels of the federal government. As per the data of this book, there are around 8k to 9k positions available.

American Model: Merit-Based Process for Top Level Executives

Other than the top officials appointed by the President, there are around 20 lakh employees who serve in the Federal Government. These positions are not dependent on regime change, instead, they are purely based on merit. These positions include economists, engineers, lawyers, auditors, scientists, healthcare professionals, and other specialists. These appointments are based on merit and are permanent in nature. This means that they remain in the workforce despite the change in the government, whether Republicans are ruling or the Democrats. The permanency of these positions ensure that the administrative work remains in continuity and unhampered despite the regime change.

Comparing the Two Models: India vs America

Where the India Model follows a standard approach for the selection of the top bureaucracy in the country, the American Model follows a general appointment by the President. Despite this major difference in the selection process, both the models are working fine for both the countries. Here’s a comparative analysis of both the models:

Therefore, comparing both the models we can conclude that each individual model has its own perks and benefits associated with them. As long as the models are working fine for the respective countries there is no need for any change from the existing ones.