Civil Service Commission
Quick Summary
The United States Civil Service Commission was established by the Pendleton Civil Service Act in 1883. This act aimed to reform the federal employment system by basing it on merit rather than political affiliation, a practice known as the spoils system. Widespread public demand for reform grew due to perceived incompetence and corruption in federal departments.12
The Pendleton Act mandated open selection of government employees through a competitive process, administered by the Civil Service Commission. Initially, it covered only about 10 percent of federal positions, but its scope gradually expanded. After 1978, the commission's functions were divided between the Office of Personnel Management and the Merit Systems Protection Board.12
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public administrationThe United StatesCivil Service Commission was established to control entry to office in the federal service. The work of the commission was mainly restricted to the lower grades of employment, and it was not until the first 20 years of the 20th century that the merit system…
Read MoreCivil Service Commission was established to control entry to office in the federal service. The work of the commission was mainly restricted to the lower grades of employment, and it was not until the first 20 years of the 20th century that the merit system…
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United StatesThe administrations of James A. Garfield and Chester A. Arthur…Service Act, which established the Civil Service Commission and provided that appointments to certain categories of offices should be made on the basis of examinations and the appointees given an indefinite tenure in their positions.
Read More…Service Act, which established the Civil Service Commission and provided that appointments to certain categories of offices should be made on the basis of examinations and the appointees given an indefinite tenure in their positions.
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