Final answer:
Civil service systems led to a merit-based bureaucracy where qualifications outweigh political ties, fostering efficiency and specialization but sometimes leading to reduced responsiveness to political change and potential self-serving behaviors.
Step-by-step explanation:
The implementation of the civil service system, particularly with acts like the Pendleton Act of 1883 and the Civil Service Reform Act of 1978, fundamentally changed the bureaucracy by establishing a merit-based hiring system. This structure aimed to diminish the role of political patronage and foster a workforce based on ability and expertise. As a result, bureaucrats began to seek job security not from political patrons but through their professional competencies and civil service organizations, such as the National Association of All Civil Service Employees. While the intention was to reduce politics in civil service affairs, it sometimes led to bureaucracies becoming less responsive to elected officials, thus decreasing political accountability.
Additionally, as jobs were no longer tied to party victories, civil service professionals could focus on their work without external pressures. However, this autonomy also meant that bureaucratic preferences could sometimes divert from political leadership's intentions. Therefore, while civil service systems were meant to enhance efficiency and specialization, they sometimes resulted in a lack of responsiveness to political change and potential self-serving behaviors among bureaucrats.