Political Activity among State Executives: The Effect of Hatch Act Repeal

The debate over Hatch Acts centers around the effect repeal would have on political involvement of public servants and relatedly the impact of recision on the public service. This study examines the consequence of Hatch Act repeal from the perspective of high-level state administrators, reporting executives' estimates of their political activity levels at two intervals: the present and, potentially, if state Hatch Acts are repealed. The findings indicate that repeal would result in a significant increase in political activities of state executives. If Hatch Acts are revoked and state executives act according to projections, the goal of a neutral and nonpartisan public service could be jeopardized.