After comparing the Bush Administration’s Program
Assessment Rating Tool scores with the backgrounds of
bureau chiefs, a study by David E. Lewis of Princeton
University’s Woodrow Wilson School of Public and
International Affairs concludes that political appointees
get lower management grades than those drawn from the
civil service.
While appointees have more education and private sector
management experience, “career managers have more direct
bureau experience and longer tenures and these
characteristics are significantly related to management
performance,” according to the 30-page study.
It adjusted for the size and complexity of departments
and agencies bureau chiefs are put in charge and noted
that PART evaluations do not encompass all management
capabilities.
In response to criticisms leveled at the “appointee-laden”
Federal Emergency Management Agency for its response to
Hurricane Katrina, Wilson said the example raises
important questions about how political appointments
affect management across the federal government.
“Future research should address this important question
of how the president and Congress make choices about
whether appointees or careerists should manage federal
programs,” Wilson said.
The study is available at: http://www.wws.princeton.edu
