Abstract
According to available geological information, Europe started off as a collection of smaller tectonic plates situated somewhere in the southern hemisphere. Slowly drifting northwards, forces of nature moulded these smaller entities over time into the continent we know. On the basis of this historical geological information, we are relatively safe to presume that Europe has, at least, a geographical identity. Comparing civil service systems during earlier phases in the Civil Service project, it was more or less implicitly taken for granted that Western Europe possesses more than a geographical distinctiveness from other regions. In Bekke and Van der Meer (2000) extensive attention is paid to the historical institutional dimension of Western European civil service systems. The historical paragraphs highlighted many common features in the development of Western European civil service systems, without underestimating existing national particularities. Most Western European civil service systems show continuous reform efforts. Using the framework developed by Bekke, Perry and Toonen (1996) we assess (the implications of) recent empirical research.
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© 2007 Frits M. Van der Meer, Trui Steen and Anchrit Wille
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Van der Meer, F.M., Steen, T., Wille, A. (2007). Western European Civil Service Systems: A Comparative Analysis. In: Raadschelders, J.C.N., Toonen, T.A.J., Van der Meer, F.M. (eds) The Civil Service in the 21st Century. Palgrave Macmillan, London. https://doi.org/10.1057/9780230593084_3
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/9780230593084_3
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