ABSTRACT
"Bureaucrat bashing" probably entered the American political vocabulary in the 1970s. The expression has since spread to some other English-speaking countries, but seems not to be as popular there as in the United States. The United States, with its individualistic culture and market-oriented economy, together with a tradition of limited and checked government power, does not possess the historical legacy or contemporary context required to support such a view. Hence bureaucrat bashing will continue to be a feature of its political landscape. Since the mid-1980s, those disturbed by bureaucrat bashing have taken a number of steps to counter the practice. Paul A. Volcker, former chairman of the Federal Reserve, contended that a "quiet crisis" of lowered morale and recruitment attractiveness had emerged in the federal service. He hence organized the National Commission on the Public Service, or Volcker Commission, to promote respect and enhancement of the federal career service.
