A political economy research on the Turkish public administration elite within the framework of the concept of meritocracy

Meritocracy states that those with competence and value should hold power. Meritocracy allows for systems based on merit, equal opportunities, and just societies built on rights. In this respect, meritocracy is a desirable concept for a fair society. It is popular in different fields, such as political science, sociology, economics and management science. With this review, an answer is sought to the problem of whether meritocracy loses what it promises if the process of individuals gaining the qualifications and values is not fair. The thesis subject was determined by discussing the concept within the realm of political economy. The limitations of the measurement of the concept are questioned, its ideality is discussed, its relationship with equality of opportunity is emphasized, and its effect on social mobility is examined. Thus, it was aimed to reveal ideas on how meritocracy can be implemented better. Its goal is to provide a critical perspective and boost interest in the concept within Turkish literature. In line with this goal, the thesis includes a literature summary and theoretical discussions are addressed from various perspectives. In addition, after examining the meritocracy dynamics in Turkey, a limited sample of the Turkish public administrator elite was examined. As a result, it has been concluded that meritocracy refers to meritocratic processes rather than a political order, and that the concept should be considered with its basic principles.