The ethical foundations of american public administration

From the founding of the Republic to the age of Jackson, Federalist administrators dominated the federal public service, infusing it not only with a high level of ethics, but also with an active religious covenant that gave the new Republic a fundamental political purpose. That convenant was eventually lost, but has been restored a few times in our history. By comparison, the modern respect for the privateness of political power is poorly suited to support an ethical and committed public service.