Featured Research
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"Private Selves as Public Property: Black Women’s Self-Making in the Contemporary Moment" Jenn Jackson shows how Black women have resisted the fungibility of their bodies through processes of self-formation and self-reclamation and how that resistance might help us understand Black women’s social and political life worlds today.
Public Culture, 2020
"To Appeal and Amend: Changes to Recently Updated Flood Insurance Rate Maps" In this article, Sarah Pralle, associate professor of political science, and her co-author examine whether there are discernible trends or patterns in alterations to Flood Insurance Rate Maps.
Risk, Hazards & Crisis in Public Policy, 2021
Building Robust and Ethical Vaccination Verification Systems
Johannes Himmelreich and his co-authors propose guidelines for deploying vaccine record verification (V.R.V.) systems that align with vaccine prioritization decisions; uphold fairness and equity; and are built on trustworthy technology.
The Brookings Institution, 2021
O’Keefe Talks About the Need for Civil Service System Reform in Washington Post Article
June 22, 2024
The Washington Post
“We have run federal agencies. Here’s what the civil service needs,” co-authored by University Professor Sean O'Keefe, was published in the Washington Post. Following is an excerpt:
Our experience has shown us that career civil servants are a priceless resource who must be preserved and protected from partisan political influence. Their ability to “speak truth to power” (including to officials like us) without fear of losing their jobs was and is critical—so using political ideology as a litmus test in their appointment or retention, no matter how well-intentioned that might be, presents a dangerous risk to our national security.
However, these employees must also be held accountable for doing their jobs well. As a practical matter, the few bad actors among them are overprotected under the existing system. It is just too hard to ensure that they can be terminated when they fail to meet reasonable standards of performance or conduct — for example, for refusing a direct, lawful order.
Thus, we think the current civil service system is badly in need of reform. But the blueprints offered by both left and right are problematic. One side is firmly rooted in a status quo that (inadvertently or otherwise) impedes accountability, and the other could end up politicizing the very civil servants who should be politically neutral.
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Campbell Conversation Spotlight
You probably know the name James Garfield, but how much else do you know about him, and why might he and his political times be relevant to considering today’s political landscape? Host Grant Reeher interviews C. W. Goodyear, a historian who has written a new definitive biography of him. His book is titled President Garfield: From Radical to Unifier.
December 9, 2023
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O’Keefe Talks About the Need for Civil Service System Reform in Washington Post Article
June 22, 2024
The Washington Post
“We have run federal agencies. Here’s what the civil service needs,” co-authored by University Professor Sean O'Keefe, was published in the Washington Post. Following is an excerpt:
Our experience has shown us that career civil servants are a priceless resource who must be preserved and protected from partisan political influence. Their ability to “speak truth to power” (including to officials like us) without fear of losing their jobs was and is critical—so using political ideology as a litmus test in their appointment or retention, no matter how well-intentioned that might be, presents a dangerous risk to our national security.
However, these employees must also be held accountable for doing their jobs well. As a practical matter, the few bad actors among them are overprotected under the existing system. It is just too hard to ensure that they can be terminated when they fail to meet reasonable standards of performance or conduct — for example, for refusing a direct, lawful order.
Thus, we think the current civil service system is badly in need of reform. But the blueprints offered by both left and right are problematic. One side is firmly rooted in a status quo that (inadvertently or otherwise) impedes accountability, and the other could end up politicizing the very civil servants who should be politically neutral.
Related News
Commentary
![Keith J. Bybee](/images/default-source/people-listings/keith-j--bybee.tmb-peoplehead.jpg?Culture=en&sfvrsn=6bf66b36_5)
Aug 1, 2024
Commentary
![Shana Kushner Gadarian](/images/default-source/people-listings/shana-kushner-gadarian.tmb-peoplehead.jpg?Culture=en&sfvrsn=ad1c44bc_6)
Jul 31, 2024
Commentary
![Christopher Faricy](/images/default-source/people-listings/christopher-faricy.tmb-peoplehead.jpg?Culture=en&sfvrsn=d13fd524_6)
Jul 30, 2024