In one very important sense, the more things change, the more they stay the same: public personnel administration will continue to be an arena within which social values and political interests vigorously compete, and the outcomes of these clashes, as they have in the past, will have important consequences for American society.
1. Is the merit system an outdated institution? Should it be replaced with a new approach to personnel policy and human resources management?
2. Should public employers pay for training and education that is not directly related to the requirements of the position or job held by the employee?
3. What elements of contemporary public personnel systems could be made more efficient and effective if they were privatized or out-sourced?
4. Should governments be expected to be model employers, even if this means higher labor costs and more procedural protections for employees?5. What do you think will be taught in public sector human resources and public personnel classes in the year 2025?
