Peru’s Public Service: The Common Good Against Institutional Constraints
Abstract
We investigate the willingness of Peruvian professionals to work for the common good within the context of a dysfunctional and politicized civil service. Drawing on original survey data from 65 policy professionals and interviews with human capital experts, we observed a self-other attribution gap in respondent data and signs of moral dissonance and institutional cynicism. The paper identifies how congressional behavior and the role of SERVIR contribute to systemic constraints; we conclude by outlining reform strategies. By combining empirical data with an institutional diagnosis, the study contributes to the literature on public service motivation and civil service by focusing alignment of regulatory frameworks with civic ideals to reinvigorate belief in the common good.
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