Which of the following was not one of Woodrow Wilson's three key means for separating politics from administration?

• A. Developing a specialized system of checks and balances to ensure neutral competence
• B. Establishing a comprehensive merit-based civil service
• C. Providing professional training to administrators
• D. Creating independent agencies insulated from political influence

Answer: (A)

Wilson argued that administration should be depoliticized and run by professionals. To achieve that, he emphasized three points: a merit-based civil service to hire and promote on competence rather than political connections; providing administrators with professional training to ensure they can effectively implement policies; and creating independent agencies insulated from political influence so daily politics won’t derail administration. The idea of a specialized system of checks and balances to ensure neutral competence isn’t part of his plan. Checks and balances relate more to balancing power between political branches than to depoliticizing the civil service, whereas his focus was on professionalization and insulation.