Re-investigating the influence of China on the British civil service examination system

Andrew Massey; Pan-Suk Kim

Re-investigating the influence of China on the British civil service examination system

Andrew Massey, Pan-Suk Kim

International School for Government

Yonsei University

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract

The concept of competitive civil service examinations has existed in China since ancient times. Several books containing information on the Chinese examination system, written or translated into English, have been published in the UK. When the Northcote–Trevelyan Report, published in 1854, proposed a competitive examination system for selecting civil servants, debates raged in the UK Parliament on whether to accept it. This article reviews prior studies and Hansard’s parliamentary debates to find that several members of the UK Parliament admitted that the open competitive examination was first used in the celestial empire (China). The article provides clear evidence Chinese influence on the contents of the Northcote–Trevelyan Report, which included the introduction of an open competitive examination system in the UK and many other countries, for example in the USA.

Original language	English
Article number	10.1080/09540962.2024.2334524
Journal	PUBLIC MONEY AND MANAGEMENT
Publication status	Accepted/In press - 21 Mar 2024

Keywords

British civil service; Chinese examinations (Keju); Chinese influence; competitive public service examinations; Northcote–Trevelyan Report

Cite this

@article{0c0e65e1eb4740ae8e2ed720a099a051,

title = "Re-investigating the influence of China on the British civil service examination system",

abstract = "The concept of competitive civil service examinations has existed in China since ancient times. Several books containing information on the Chinese examination system, written or translated into English, have been published in the UK. When the Northcote–Trevelyan Report, published in 1854, proposed a competitive examination system for selecting civil servants, debates raged in the UK Parliament on whether to accept it. This article reviews prior studies and Hansard{\textquoteright}s parliamentary debates to find that several members of the UK Parliament admitted that the open competitive examination was first used in the celestial empire (China). The article provides clear evidence Chinese influence on the contents of the Northcote–Trevelyan Report, which included the introduction of an open competitive examination system in the UK and many other countries, for example in the USA. ",

keywords = "British civil service; Chinese examinations (Keju); Chinese influence; competitive public service examinations; Northcote–Trevelyan Report",

author = "Andrew Massey and Pan-Suk Kim",

year = "2024",

month = mar,

day = "21",

language = "English",

journal = "PUBLIC MONEY AND MANAGEMENT",

issn = "0954-0962",

publisher = "Blackwell Publishing",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - Re-investigating the influence of China on the British civil service examination system

AU - Massey, Andrew

AU - Kim, Pan-Suk

PY - 2024/3/21

Y1 - 2024/3/21

N2 - The concept of competitive civil service examinations has existed in China since ancient times. Several books containing information on the Chinese examination system, written or translated into English, have been published in the UK. When the Northcote–Trevelyan Report, published in 1854, proposed a competitive examination system for selecting civil servants, debates raged in the UK Parliament on whether to accept it. This article reviews prior studies and Hansard’s parliamentary debates to find that several members of the UK Parliament admitted that the open competitive examination was first used in the celestial empire (China). The article provides clear evidence Chinese influence on the contents of the Northcote–Trevelyan Report, which included the introduction of an open competitive examination system in the UK and many other countries, for example in the USA.

AB - The concept of competitive civil service examinations has existed in China since ancient times. Several books containing information on the Chinese examination system, written or translated into English, have been published in the UK. When the Northcote–Trevelyan Report, published in 1854, proposed a competitive examination system for selecting civil servants, debates raged in the UK Parliament on whether to accept it. This article reviews prior studies and Hansard’s parliamentary debates to find that several members of the UK Parliament admitted that the open competitive examination was first used in the celestial empire (China). The article provides clear evidence Chinese influence on the contents of the Northcote–Trevelyan Report, which included the introduction of an open competitive examination system in the UK and many other countries, for example in the USA.

KW - British civil service; Chinese examinations (Keju); Chinese influence; competitive public service examinations; Northcote–Trevelyan Report

M3 - Article

SN - 0954-0962

JO - PUBLIC MONEY AND MANAGEMENT

JF - PUBLIC MONEY AND MANAGEMENT

M1 - 10.1080/09540962.2024.2334524

ER -

Re-investigating the influence of China on the British civil service examination system

Abstract

Keywords

Fingerprint

Cite this