15. See "Executive Manpower in the Federal Service" (Washington D.C.: U.S. Civil Service Commission, Bureau of Executive Manpower, January 1972), pp. 2-4. 16. We avoid here the important problem of whether being "color conscious" or "color blind" enhances social equity as a related but separate question. A useful and short discussion of the problem is to be found in Harold Fleming, "The 'Affirmative Action' Debate," City (Summer 1972), pp. 28-31. 17. This philosophy is certainly reflected in the National Civil Service League's, "A Model Public Personnel Administration Law" (November 1970). For a discussion of the law, see Jean J. Couturier, "Model Public Personnel Administration Law: Two ViewsPro," and Harold E. Forbes, "Two Views-Con," Public Personnel Review (October 1971), pp. 202-214. Some preliminary empirical work already indicates that in the federal service graduate work beyond the bachelor's level does not have a measurable, independent effect on upward mobility . See "Executive Manpower in the Federal Servic " ashington D.C : U.S. Civil Service Commission, reau of Executive Manpower, January 1972), pp. of officials who eventually attain the rank of GS-15 and above. Seniority was found to be a far more important explanatory variable, and, indeed, protracted graduate work sometimes was associated with slower upward mobility, seemingly because time spent on an advanced degree was time not spent accumulating seniority, Eugene B. McGregor, Jr., "Social Equity and the Public Service," paper delivered at the 1973 National Conference on Public Administration, Los Angeles, April 1-4. 18. An excellent statement on the slippery definitions of "merit" can be found in Frederick C. Mosher, Democracy and the Public Service (New York: Ocford University Press, 1968), Chapter 7. 19. See Gardner, op. cit., pp. 151-159. 20. U.S. Civil Service Commission, "Analysis of Data and Report on Union Recognition in the Federal Service" (Office of Labor-Management Relations, Bulletin No. 711-27, April 13, 1973), p. 1. 21. IbiL, pp. 5-12. 22. Mosher, op. cit. icials who eventually attain the rank of GS-15 ove. Seniority was found to be a far more tant explanatory variable, and, indeed, proe graduate work sometimes was associated with upward mobil ty, seemingly because time on an advanced degree was time not spent ulating seniority, Eugene B. McGregor, Jr.,