The creation of the Senior Executive Service as part of the 1978 Civil Service Reform Act is thought to be a major step in making government more effective and efficient. However, for SES to function properly, it needs the strong support of its members. Some pre-implementation survey reports described future SESers as eager for the changes. Others detected significant undercurrents of skepticism and cynicism. After a rather rocky period of implementation, our March 1981 survey reveals that SESers now have an overwhelmingly negative view of SES. If it is true that SES can succeed only with SESer support, the reform is in trouble.
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