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Pendleton Act
Also known as: Civil Service Act
Date: 1883
From: Encyclopedia of Public Administration and Public Policy.
The Pendleton Act institutionalized merit appointments in the U.S. federal public
service.
Prior to the Civil War, the individuals employed in the U.S. federal civil service were
often placed in their positions as a form of patronage. Awarding jobs in the civil
service was seen as a mechanism for "paying back" or rewarding political support.
Even those who earned their appointments were increasingly expected to contribute
time and money to partisan activities in order to keep their appointments. Elections
resulted in a major staff turnover as individuals more loyal or committed to newly
elected public officeholders replaced staff who were let go because they supported
the losing candidate or who had refused to actively support the newly elected public
officeholder.
From the public's point of view, this was tolerable, as the federal civil service was
seen to be relatively ineffective and inconsequential. However, as the civil service
became more complex and more important to the ongoing operation of the country,
employees often required more specialized skills, and continuity between elections
became more essential. Sensing this, public support for changes in the civil service
appointment process grew in the 1870s.
A pivotal event occurred when President Garfield was assassinated by Charles
Guiteau. Guiteau's grievance related to his disappointment in not being appointed to
his desired office. This event galvanized public opinion that pressured Congress to
change the civil service appointment system.
In 1883 Senator George Pendleton sponsored, and Congress passed, the Pendleton
Act, an act to "regulate and improve the civil service of the United States." The act
authorized the president to appoint three commissioners to serve as the "United
States Civil Service Commission." The commission was charged with establishing
examinations for testing the "fitness" of applicants for the public service and with
ensuring that positions were classified in a system that would ensure that the
highest-scoring individuals on particular exams were placed in the appropriate
positions.
The Pendleton Act also required a probationary period for all positions and clearly
stated that position holders were not required to contribute to any political fund or
participate in partisan political activity and that they could not face discipline or
removal for refusing to respond to such requests. The Pendleton Act further required
that the commission ensure that the federal jobs were distributed among the states
on a proportional basis, relative to population.
The passage of this act initiated the development of a merit-based civil service in the
United States. For the first time, a law guaranteed federal civil service hiring based
on merit. As technical and management skills have become increasingly vital to the
functioning of a modern-day civil service, the principles outlined in the Pendleton Act
have become even more important. The Pendleton Act created the framework that
led to the development of a professional federal civil service that provides stability
across political administrations.