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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.