The Not-So-Quiet Crisis: Paul Volcker on the Public Service

This article, which appeared in the GAO Journal, No. 5, Spring 1989, presents an interview with the voluntary chairman of the National Commission on the Public Service, intended to strengthen the role of public service in enhancing the effectiveness of government. The chairman believes that key civil service issues requiring attention include: (1) recognizing and rewarding the significant contributions of civil service to government efficiency; (2) equalizing pay gaps between private sector and civil service employment; (3) increasing agencies' sense of mission and career development opportunities; and (4) improving federal government hiring, recruiting, and training programs and policies.