美国文官制度的变革与思考

Change and Thinking of the American Executive Service

美国文官制度经历了从政党分肥制到现代功绩制的深刻变革,至1978年,卡特政府创建了高级文官制度,在政务官之下、普通文官之上设置高级文官阶层。高级文官作为连接政务官和普通文官的桥梁和纽带,突破了政治与行政的界限,将政治家和官僚的角色融为一体,扮演着既是领导者,又是管理者的角色,在联邦政府中起着承上启下的作用,全面提升了政府的政治和技术回应性。但高级文官中政治任命的非常任高级文官更换频繁,与竞争晋升的常任高级文官和普通文官之间,又产生了新的矛盾和冲突,造成政府优秀人才的流失。从历史的角度,认真总结美国文官制度变革的经验与教训,对于我国公务员制度建设,特别是高级公务员制度建设,具有重要意义。

The administrative personnel system in U.S. has experienced great change from spoils system to merit system and then to Senior Executive Service. President Carter has established Senior Executive Service since 1978 to regulate and manage senior executives. As a bridge and link between politics appointees and bureaucrats,senior executives have broken the limits between politics and administration,and then gradually grown up to the hybrid. They serve both as leaders and managers in federal government to enhance the political responsiveness and technical responsiveness. However,in the senior executives,the non-career appointees and the career executives have naturally conflicts,which led to brain drain more or less. Historically,it is necessary to conclude the best practice and lessons of Senior Executive Service in U.S.,and what we have learned from it will be greatly helpful to the establishment of Chinese personnel system,especially of Chinese Senior Executive Service.