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Review of Public Personnel Administration, Vol. 22, No. 1, 3-26 (2002)

Is Patronage Dead? The Impact of Antipatronage Staffing Systems

David K. Hamilton

Roosevelt University

As a result of court cases, Illinois state government and a number of local governments in Cook County have established nonpatronage staffing systems. An analysis of the impact of these staffing systems reveals that patronage has not been eliminated. It is still alive and well but has changed in significant ways. Although there have been positive impacts on staffing from nonpatronage systems, they tend to be overly centralized and bureaucratic. This causes time delays in filling vacant positions and requires additional time and paperwork on the part of hiring officials. Nonpatronage systems are not designed to attract the best and the brightest but rather to keep patronage-oriented applicants out. The author recommends that staffing systems be designed around a public service orientation to strike a balance between patronage and merit. Staffing such systems will de-emphasize centralized, bureaucratic antipatronage procedures in favor of more flexibility and accountability in the operating departments.

Key Words: patronage • staffing • local government • public service • court decisions • court-mandated staffing systems • Shakman litigation • antipatronage staffing systems • Illinois government • Chicago • new patronage


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