Professor of public administration and policy launches survey examining the career paths of federal executives

The largest academic survey of federal executives ever conducted has been launched through a collaborative effort conducted by Dr. Anthony Bertelli of the Department of Public Administration and Policy, Dr.
David Nixon of the University of Hawaii, and Dr. David Lewis of the Woodrow Wilson School at Princeton University. The "Survey on the Future of the Government Service" will examine and analyze the backgrounds, political views, and experiences of 7,500 executives across the U.S. government. It is accessible online at: www.princeton.edu/~sfgs.

By conducting the study the researchers aim to more effectively identify the career paths of federal executives and what they do in their current jobs, examining such questions as: How did executives obtain their current positions? What education and work experience did they have prior to assuming their current posts? What motivated them to pursue government work?

The survey addresses the political views of federal executives, such as party affiliation and how they identify themselves ideologically (i.e. liberal or conservative). The study seeks to determine how much contact federal executives have with various political actors, including Congressional committees, interest groups, the White House, and political appointees. The survey includes questions about the responsiveness of these executives to political direction.

Researchers will also examine executives' perceptions about how well the Program Assessment Rating Tool (PART)—an instrument created to measure program performance—is working.

The survey includes questions about the future of public service, particularly government service. Should young people enter public service? If so, what type of education should they get? Should the U.S. create a national public service academy?

The results from the survey will contribute to ongoing scholarly research on America's public service and inform the work of the Task Force on the Changing Nature of Government Service at the Woodrow Wilson School, which is investigating the current state of government service in order to make recommendations about how best to train the next generation of public servants. The Task Force is chaired by former Federal Reserve chairman Paul Volcker.

For more information, contact Dr. Anthony Bertelli at: Bertelli@uga.edu