Civil service

Many people work for the government.

These workers are called civil servants. They do not get picked by voting. Instead, they are hired for their work. Long ago, China used tests to find good workers. This helped people get jobs by being smart. In Rome, workers helped leaders with many tasks. Some even helped keep order in courts. Today, these workers help our lands run well. They work to help everyone in their towns.

A civil service is a group of workers for the government. These people are not elected by voters. Instead, they are hired to do specific jobs. They often keep working even when new leaders take power.

This idea started in China. In the Song dynasty, China used tests to find workers. This helped people get jobs based on talent. The Roman Empire also had many types of workers. Some helped leaders in court. Others were tax collectors or made public announcements.

In the 1800s, Britain changed how it hired people. Before this, jobs were often given to friends. This was called patronage. Two men, Sir Stafford Northcote and Charles Trevelyan, suggested a new way. They wanted workers to pass exams. They wanted people to earn jobs through merit. Merit means being good at your work. This new model helped stop corruption. It became a way for many other countries to work too. Today, civil servants help run many parts of our world.

A civil service is a large group of people who work for a government. These workers are not elected by the public. Instead, they are hired to do specific jobs for the state. Most of these people stay in their roles even when new leaders are elected. This helps the government keep running smoothly through changes. A person in this role is often called a civil servant or a public servant.

In the past, different groups had many ways to help run their lands. The Roman Empire had many types of workers called apparitores. Some were called accensi and helped leaders in court or as messengers. Others were called coactor and worked as tax collectors. There were also lictores who assisted leaders and helped with punishments. Even scriba worked as public notaries to help with paperwork.

The idea of using tests to find workers began in China. During the Song dynasty, China used competitive exams to hire people. This meant workers were chosen for their talent and merit. In the 18th century, Britain began to expand its own government offices. At first, people often got jobs through patronage or by buying them. This meant jobs went to friends rather than the best workers.

In the 1850s, Britain made big changes to fix these problems. Two men, Sir Stafford Northcote and Charles Trevelyan, wrote a famous report. They suggested that people should pass exams to get jobs. They also wanted workers to be promoted based on their achievements. This new system helped stop corruption and made the service more stable. This model was used in British India starting in 1858.

Today, many countries use similar systems to keep things fair. The United States created a modern civil service with the Pendleton Act. In Brazil, workers must pass entrance exams to get permanent jobs. These tests can be written, oral, or even physical. These rules help make sure that the people running the government are well-trained. It helps the public sector work well for everyone in the country.

The civil service is a professional sector of government. It is made up of career personnel who are hired for their skills rather than being elected by voters. Because these employees have institutional tenure, they usually keep their jobs even when political leaders change. This stability allows a government to continue its work during transitions. A person working in this sector is often called a civil servant, a public servant, or a public employee. In a healthy system, these workers answer to the government itself instead of a specific political party.

Different countries define the civil service in different ways. In the United Kingdom, the term "civil servant" refers only to employees of the Crown, which is the national government. People who work for local authorities, like cities or counties, are called local government officers. While they are public servants, they are not technically civil servants in the UK. In some nations, there is no distinction between the civil service and the broader public service. Some staff members working in non-departmental public bodies, sometimes called QUANGOs, may also be counted as civil servants for official statistics.

History shows that different civilizations developed their own ways to manage government tasks. The Roman Empire, from 27 BC to AD 395, utilized several types of civil servants called apparitores. One group was the accensi, who were professional servants providing assistance to elected magistrates. They summoned witnesses in court, kept track of time, and acted as messengers. Another group, the coactor, served as tax collectors. The name comes from the Latin word meaning "to compel" or "to force." There were also lictores, who assisted magistrates and were responsible for punishing Roman citizens. Other roles included the scriba, who worked as public notaries, and the praecones, who made public announcements.

Modern civil service systems were heavily influenced by the meritocratic ideas found in China. During the Song dynasty, from 960 to 1279, China standardized competitive examinations for recruitment. This meant people were promoted based on their talent and merit. In the 18th century, the British government began to expand its bureaucracy due to economic changes and the growth of the British Empire. Initially, many positions were filled through patronage or by outright purchase. This meant jobs often went to people with political connections rather than the most qualified candidates.

The move toward a modern system began in earnest in the 19th century. In 1806, the British East India Company established a college near London to train administrators for its territories in India. This was a step toward using examinations to select staff. By 1854, the British Chancellor of the Exchequer, William Gladstone, commissioned Sir Stafford Northcote and Charles Trevelyan to study the system. Their resulting Northcote–Trevelyan Report recommended that recruitment be based on merit through competitive examinations. It also suggested a hierarchy where promotion was based on achievement rather than patronage.

These reforms led to the creation of Her Majesty's Civil Service in 1855. A Civil Service Commission was also established to oversee open recruitment and end the practice of patronage. This model was very successful at removing corruption and delivering public services. It even remained stable during the stress of two world wars. This British model had great international influence. The Imperial Civil Service model was implemented in British India in 1858. Later, the Pendleton Civil Service Reform Act helped establish a modern civil service in the United States.

Today, many nations use strict rules to ensure the independence of their civil service. In Brazil, career civil servants are hired through external entrance examinations. These tests can be written, oral, or physical, depending on the job. For example, police officers may take physical tests, while professors or judges may take oral tests. The rank of the position is often determined by the score received on these exams. This system helps keep the administration professional and separate from political interference.

There is also an international dimension to this field. International civil servants are civilian employees who work for intergovernmental organizations. They do not follow the national laws of a single country. Instead, they are governed by internal staff regulations and have immunity of jurisdiction. If disputes arise, they are handled by special tribunals, such as the Administrative Tribunal of the ILO. The United Nations also uses the International Civil Service Commission to coordinate staff conditions and maintain high standards across its common system.