Email: Learning Journey: Civil Service Day 2

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  Today, we look at the historical development of the civil service.

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Welcome back! Today, we look at the historical development of the civil service. We examine the early federal workforce of the 18th century and the legislative milestones that shaped the modern civil service. The early civil service and the spoils system The federal workforce of the United States during the late 18th century was very small (for example, the State Department was staffed by nine employees) and federal workers were rarely removed from office. However, politically aligned patronage appointments and removals of federal employees became common during the 19th century, most notably under President Andrew Jackson (D). According to University of Tennessee professor Daniel Feller, Jackson "claimed to be purging the corruption, laxity, and arrogance that came with long tenure, and restoring the opportunity for government service to the citizenry at large through 'rotation in office.'" During this period, individuals were often rewarded for partisan loyalty and service through appointments to government positions, a process that became known among historians as the spoils system. After the assassination of President James Garfield (R) in 1881 by a disgruntled federal job-seeker, President Chester Arthur (R) supported the call to end the spoils system and implement a merit-based system for the selection of federal employ. Read On: Andrew Jackson James Garfield Chester Arthur The shift toward merit-based selection in the civil service The Pendleton Civil Service Reform Act of 1883 eliminated the spoils system and established what became known as the competitive civil service, a merit-based system for the appointment of federal executive branch employees. The new system, overseen by the U.S. Civil Service Commission, was insulated from direct executive control. Individuals could apply for government employment and compete through examinations rather than seek an appointment to a position on the basis of their political ideology or government connections. During the late 19th century and early 20th century, members of the competitive civil service gained workers compensation protections, retirement annuities, and procedural protections against removal, which aimed to ensure that federal employees could only be fired for just cause. Read On: The Pendleton Act The Competitive Service The United States Civil Service Commission     Procedural protections and prohibited practices in the civil service By the 1970s, federal employees began to express dissatisfaction with perceived shortcomings in their procedural protections and discriminatory practices in the workplace. The resulting Civil Service Reform Act of 1978 (CSRA) reaffirmed the merit system selection process; created guidelines for the removal of personnel for unsatisfactory performance; codified collective bargaining practices; and identified prohibited practices in applicable executive agencies and departments, including nepotism and discrimination on the basis of age, sex, race, religion, or other specified factors. In addition to codifying procedural protections and prohibited practices, the CSRA also established the Senior Executive Service, a separate tier of administrators "designed to attract and retain highly competent senior executives," according to the legislation. Lastly, the CSRA decentralized civil service oversight by replacing the U.S. Civil Service Commission with the following agencies: The U.S. Office of Personnel Management The U.S. Office of Personnel Management is tasked with implementing rules to oversee the management of the federal workforce. The Merit Systems Protection Board The Merit Systems Protection Board is responsible for processing employment-related hearings and appeals. The Federal Labor Relations Authority The Federal Labor Relations Authority is responsible for establishing guidelines and resolving issues related to collective bargaining practices. Read On: The Civil Service Reform Act The Senior Executive Service   What’s next? Tomorrow we review recent civil service changes at the federal and state level. Review Check out the following Ballotpedia pages to dive deeper into today’s key concepts: The Pendleton Act The Competitive Service The United States Civil Service Commission The Civil Service Reform Act Senior Executive Service Andrew Jackson James Garfield Chester Arthur

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