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If the trade unionist(工会成员) Jimmy Hoffa were alive today, he would probably represent civil servants. When Hoffa's Teamsters were in their prime(n.初期，全盛时期) in 1960, only one in ten American government workers belonged to a union; now 36% do. In 2009 the number of unionists in America's public sector passed that of their fellow members in the privated sector. In Britain, more than half of public-sector workers but only about 15% of private-sector ones are unionized.
There are three reasons for the public-sector unions' thriving(v ing, 兴旺发达). First, they can shut things down without suffering(suffer v. 蒙受、受苦) much in the way of consequences. Second, they are mostly bright and well-educated. A quarter of America's public-sector workers have a university degree. Third, they now dominate left-of-centre politics. Some of their ties go back a long way. Britain's Labor Party, as its name implies, has long been associated with trade unionism. Its current leader, Ed Miliband, owes his position to votes from public-sector unions.
At the state level their influence can be even more fearsome(adj可怕的，极大的). Mark Baldassare of the Public Policy Institute of California points out that much of the state's budget is patrolled by unions. The teacher's unions keep an eye on schools, the CCPOA on prisons and a variety of labor groups on health care.
In many rich countries average wages in the state sector are higher than in the private one. But the real gains come in benefits and work practices. Politicians have repeatedly 'backloaded' public-sector pay deals, keep the pay increase modest(adj, 适度的) but adding to holidays and especially pensions that are already generous(adj, 慷慨的).
Reform(n.改革，改良) has been vigorously(精神旺盛地) opposed(反对), perhaps most notoriously(众所周知地，声名狼藉地) in education, where charter schools, academies and merit pay all faced drawn-out battles. Even though there is plenty of evidence that the quality of the teachers is the most important variable, teachers' unions have fought against getting rid of bad ones and promoting good ones.
As the cost to everyone else has become clearer, politicians have begun to clamp down. In Wisconsin the unions have rallied(vt. 集合) thousands of supporters against Scott Walker, the hardline(adj.强硬的) Republican governor. But many within the public sector suffer under the current system, too.
John Donahue at Harvard's Kennedy School point out that the norms (n.基准)of culture in Western civil services suit those who want to stay putbut is bad for highachievers(获得成功的人). The only American public-sector workers who earn well above $250,000 a year are university sports coaches and the president of the United States. Bankers' fat pay packets have attracted much criticism, but a public-sector system that does not reward high achievers may be a much bigger problem for America.
1. they can shut things down without suffering much in the way of consequences.
2.John Donahue at Harvard's Kennedy School points out that the norms of culture in Western civil servicessuit those who want to stay put but is bad for high achievers.
3. Banker's fat pay packets have attracted much criticism, but a public-sector system that does not reward high achievers may be a much bigger problem for America.

背景知识：很业余时间初步了解美国工会的起源及现状，工会在美国社会中起到了什么作用。
译文:
倘若工会者吉米. 霍法如今在世，他很可能代表着公务员。霍法领导的卡车司机工会1960年全盛时期，仅有10%的美国工作人员参加工会；如今这一比例为36%。2009年美国公共部门中的工会会员人数已经超过私营部门中的工会会员人数。在英国，超过一半的公共部门雇员加入了工会，而私营部门中仅约为15%。
公共部门工会的持续性壮大有三个原因。首先，他们可以举行而无需承担太多后果。其次，他们大多头脑灵活且受过良好教育。四分之一的美国公共部门雇员具有大学学历。第三，他们目前主导着左政治。两者之间的一些关联可回溯到很久以前。英国工党，顾名思义，与工会渊源久远。工党现任领袖艾德.米莉班德能够荣登宝座，公共部门工会的选票功不可没。
从州级层面来看，公共部门工会的影响力甚至更为可怕。加利福尼亚公共政策研究所的马克.巴尔达萨雷指出，加州多数预算受到工会监察。教师工会紧盯学校，加州和平促进会看着，而各种各样的劳工团体则监视着医疗保健部门。
许多富裕国家公共部门的平均薪资高于私营部门。但是实际收益源自福利和工作制度。政治家们一直在反复“变相提高”公共部门的薪酬；使工资保持低涨幅，却增加原本就已丰厚的节假日，特别是养老金。
改革一直遭到强烈反对，出名的或许是教育部门，其许学校、专科学院以及教师绩效工资（制度）都面临旷日持久的战斗。尽管众多证据表明，教师素质是（影响教育水平）的重要的可变因素，但教师工会还是一直对教师行业进行优胜劣汰。
随着（公共部门之外）其他所有的人付出的代价都日以明显，政治家们已经开始采取强压政策。在威斯康辛州，各大工会召集成千上万支持者反对强硬的共和党州长斯科特.沃克。但在现行制度下，许多公共部门雇员也深受其害。
哈佛大学肯尼迪学院的约翰.唐纳修指出，西方公务员文化标准适合那些寻求安稳的人，却不利于那些准求事业高成者。美国公共部门雇员中，只有大学体育教练和总统的年收入远超25万美元。银行家的丰厚收入一直饱受指摘，但是不奖励事业高成者的公共部门体制或许才是美国面临的更大问题。