Civil service, a part of public administration. The quotation above is one of the best to illustrate the nature of this institution. But, what actually is civil service? Writing about the Polish central administration in the 20th century, one cannot omit mentioning the beginning, the birth of administration in Europe, theoretical approaches, and finally the answer to the above question. I decided to close all that in the 2nd chapter: Theory for to solve any doubts and for a better understanding of the rest. The first chapter about Poland presents the establishing of public administration and civil service in the 20`s and the 30′s, after over a century of non-existence. It introduces Polish projects of re-forming the administration, consequence of a military coup d′état and an authoritarian regime. The next chapter is about the destruction of all administrative achievements of the 2nd Polish Republic, politicisation and dissolvation of the civil service during the communist regime after the World War 1939-45 and positive changes in the 80′s that were the result of a critical situation of the Polish People′s Republic. Then the 90′s, the end of the non-democratic regime, new reality, the idea and the need to re-create the civil service, project, the creation and the role of the KSAP (National School of Public Administration) are being shown. The 6th chapter concerns the enacting of the first Civil Service Law and the next - wide, open critique of it, in addition the questions of civil service and the new constitution.. In the 8th chapter the focus is on the discussion that appeared in 1998, when already a new project of the law was being worked out, and generally regarded the existence of the civil service. Subsequently, the next part pre-sents the 1998 Civil Service Law, most important differences and innovations and again the doubts connected to it. The last, but particularly important chapter of my work in-troduces ethical aspects not only of the civil service but of the public administration as a whole. The main reason is the very "young age" of the civil service corps in Poland and the similarity of the problems bothering them, civil service is after all a part of the pub-lic administration. Being discussed are the problems of corruption, misbehaviour, inef-ficiency and at the very end the need for a Code of Ethics for the civil service.
Table of Contents
0. List of Contents.
1. Introduction/ Overview
2. Theory
3. Between the Wars
4. The Polish People’s Republic
5. Reforming the Administration in the 90’s
6. The 1996 Civil Service Law
7. Critique and Comments
8. The 1998 Discussion
9. The 1998 Civil Service Law
10. Polish Administration and Ethics
11. Conclusions
Research Objectives and Key Topics
This work examines the historical development, structural transformation, and the evolving ethical framework of the Polish civil service throughout the 20th century. It aims to investigate the challenges of creating a professional, neutral, and stable public administration corps in the context of Poland's transition from authoritarian regimes to a democratic state, while addressing the critical role of the civil service in maintaining state continuity.
- Historical evolution of the Polish central administration.
- Impact of political regimes on the civil service structure.
- Legislative processes and reforms of civil service laws.
- Challenges of corruption and the necessity for ethical standards.
- The relationship between public administration and political stability.
Excerpt from the Book
2. THEORY
In different countries, there are different criteria defining civil service, different ways of employing the servants, different duties and responsibilities of the officials. Partially it comes from two dissimilar ways of thinking about the state, that were formed in 18th and 19th century, when the models of modern democratic systems were being formed. First of these traditions, the “Hegelian” or continental one, says that citizens are treated like a “mass” of which the public administration should take special care and which it should manage wisely. The second, utilitarian-liberal or Anglo-Saxon, states that the citizens decided to limit their individual laws and to let a “supervisor body” to control them.
It is quite difficult to find these qualities that could be essential in distinguishing civil servants from other officials working in the public administration. From the first sight English and French civil service are far from each other like sun and moon, they consist of different groups of the public servants, different number of the officials with different duties and responsibilities. However, many tried and managed to find this essence, these general, basic truths that are inseparable connected with the civil service, all over the democratic world:
Summary of Chapters
1. Introduction/ Overview: Provides the conceptual basis for the study and outlines the historical chapters of Polish administration development.
2. Theory: Explores the different traditions of civil service and fundamental characteristics defining the profession in democratic states.
3. Between the Wars: Discusses the establishment of the first Polish civil service corps after independence and the impact of the 1922 law.
4. The Polish People’s Republic: Analyzes the destruction of the civil service corps during the communist era and the rise of nomenclature.
5. Reforming the Administration in the 90’s: Details the efforts to rebuild public administration following the 1989 political transition.
6. The 1996 Civil Service Law: Examines the enactment of the first post-communist civil service law and its categorization system.
7. Critique and Comments: Evaluates the criticisms leveled against the 1996 legislation and the resulting political conflicts.
8. The 1998 Discussion: Reviews the debate regarding the future form and necessity of the civil service in Poland.
9. The 1998 Civil Service Law: Outlines the improvements and changes introduced in the new 1998 civil service legislation.
10. Polish Administration and Ethics: Investigates the crisis of ethics and the prevalence of corruption within the public administration.
11. Conclusions: Summarizes the necessary conditions for a professional and impartial civil service in Poland.
Keywords
Civil Service, Public Administration, Poland, Political Neutrality, Administrative Reform, Corruption, Ethics, Civil Service Law, 20th Century History, Public Officials, Governance, State Continuity, Professionalism, Legislation, Democratization.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the central focus of this research?
The work focuses on the evolution, legislative history, and challenges of the Polish civil service throughout the 20th century, specifically analyzing the transformation of administrative structures from the interwar period through the communist regime to the democratic reforms of the 1990s.
What are the primary themes discussed?
The core themes include the establishment of administrative norms, the impact of varying political regimes on civil servants, the ongoing legislative efforts to create a professional corps, and the pressing issues regarding ethics, corruption, and political neutrality.
What is the main goal of the study?
The primary goal is to analyze the historical development of the Polish civil service and to propose the necessary conditions required to build an impartial, stable, and professional administrative system that serves the public interest rather than political parties.
Which scientific methods are employed?
The study utilizes a historical and descriptive analysis of administrative law, comparing Polish developments with international models and evaluating various legislative proposals and reports from the 1990s.
What content is covered in the main section?
The main sections cover the theory of civil service, the impact of historical milestones like the 1922, 1996, and 1998 civil service laws, the transition from communist-era structures to democratic systems, and a detailed examination of ethics and corruption.
What characterizes the Polish civil service according to the author?
It is characterized by its "young age" in a democratic context, the struggle for political neutrality, and the persistent challenge of balancing political stability with the need for professional, non-partisan administration.
How does the 1998 Civil Service Law differ from previous attempts?
The 1998 law is presented as a clearer, more effective legislative instrument that replaced previous contradictory laws and better aligned with the reality of Polish administration at that time.
Why is the role of ethics significant in the author's analysis?
Ethics are considered essential because, without them, the administrative system is susceptible to corruption and the spoils system, which undermines public trust and professional efficiency.
- Quote paper
- Weronika Tkocz (Author), 2000, The Polish Civil Service, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/8566