A comparison is made between India’s IAS/UPSC-driven bureaucracy and the United States’ federal administrative system. In the US, there is no UPSC-style competitive examination or IAS-equivalent permanent elite cadre. Instead, when a new President takes office, the administration can appoint a limited number of political officials, estimated at about 4,000. Separately, the number of senior roles classified in the US government’s “Plum Book” is described as roughly 8,000–9,000, reflecting positions that can change with political leadership.
Despite this political turnover, the US maintains administrative continuity through a large, career-based civil service. The article notes that the federal workforce includes more than 20 lakh civilian employees, who provide continuity across administrations. Together, the sources describe a two-layer structure: a political layer that changes with elections and a permanent professional workforce that carries forward governance and policy implementation.
