Various scholars have put forth frameworks for interpreting how public sector human resource management (HRM) policies and practices have tracked shifts in societal values. Although such frameworks serve important heuristic purposes, the empirical support offered for the interpretations made is generally thin. This study employs content analysis techniques to assess the relative validity of these different schemes with a focus on the priority assigned to the different values by members of Congress in debates over the federal civil service. According to the results, among the most dominant HRM-related values for the 122-year period (1883-2004) are efficiency, morality, and progress.