Who implements federal public policy? A study of the qualifications and education expected of federal civil servants and the curriculum of graduate level public administration programs.

Federal executives implement a vast array of public policies, and as a consequence, the supply of labor to the bureaucracy is directly connected to the way democratic governance works. What qualifications and education are expected of these civil servants? Modern graduate level public administration programs have implemented a problem-solving pedagogy, but does it match the needs of government? Through the Survey on the Future of Government Service (Bertelli, Lewis & Nixon, 2008), federal executives reported on the qualifications desired in civil servants. By analyzing their responses, this paper examines two primary questions. In the field of public service, what qualifications, education and experience do executives in the bureaucracy look for? Are graduate level public administration programs appropriately marketing their curriculum or should programs readjust their curriculum to provide the types of civil servants bureaucratic executives are seeking? ..PAT.-Unpublished Manuscript [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]