The public service is being transformed as reform is occurring at all levels of government both here and abroad. Although some of the changes address narrow, specific issues, increasingly more radical innovations are commonplace. A key example is the effort to modify or eliminate the distinguishing characteristic of the merit system: safeguarding the independence of the public servant corps from political influence. [1] The ensuing debate over attempts to alter the balance between professional expertise and political responsiveness has included the private sector doctrine of at-will employment, whereby employees can be dismissed for any or no reason. Ironically, this policy is being enacted in the public sector despite its historic.
