The logic for recruitment of the executive candidates for local officials in the Rhône-Alpes region during the Second Empire in France

This article is an attempt to elucidate further on the increasing professionalization of local bureaucratic candidates for the positions of conseillers de préfecture through an analysis of the logic behind recruitment for those positions during the era of the Second Empire, a regime under which the administrative system of modern France expanded considerably, while becoming more and more complex. <br> To this end, the author first examines the change in the character of conseillers de préfecture during the time in question through a quantitative analysis of the related documentation, showing a reduction in the age of candidates from every region. Conseillers de préfecture were given training experience as future executive officers in many different departments and public offices over a relatively short period of time. <br> Secondly, the author present his finding from an analysis of the narrative characterizing the documentation, in order to demonstrate that the element of ascription in the recruitment of conseillers de préfecture decreased in importance during the Second Empire compared to the July Monarchy, since the extant documents of petition show that candidates’ predecessors and fathers were no longer intervening in the recruitment process. On the other hand, three types of evaluation---personal character, acquired knowledge of administrative affairs and experience in public office---leading to recruitment existed in all the documents of petition for both July Monarchy and the Second Empire eras, although such meritorious attributes were described in more detail during the latter era, accounting for the change in the character of conseillers de préfecture during that time. The author also argues that many conseillers were able to improve their administrative skills working in the secretariats of prefectural governors.<br> Finally, the author takes up historian Christophe Charle’s argument that 1) the principle of meritocracy gradually penetrated French society between the 1830s and the 1880s, a period during which ascription still predominated the recruitment process, and 2) the turning point between the two sets of criteria occurred during the early Third Republic era, arguing to the contrary that for local officials, that turning point had already been completely accomplished under the Second Empire.