CHAPTER 10

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• Only 11% of federal gov. employees work in D.C.
• Typical man or woman in federal service is older than 40
• They earn about $25,000 and $50,000 per year
• 30% are members of minority group
• 22% in private work force and women make up 44%

ORIGINS

Today almost all federal jobs filled through competitive civil service system.

SPOILS SYSTEM

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• George W. declared that he appointed gov. officials
• according to "Fitness of Character."
• When Thomas Jefferson entered the White House he found
• most federal workers against.
• He replaced them w/ his own political party members

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• Andrew Jackson fired 1000 federal
• workers & gave their jobs to his political party
• Spoils System became used to describe Jackson actions
• Today SS describes the practice of victorious politicians
• rewarding followers w/ gov. jobs

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• For the next 50 yrs. national, state & local
• politicians used SS to fill positions.

CALLS FOR REFORM

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• SS fostered inefficiency & corruption
• Corruption developed as ppl used jobs
• for personal gain.
• In 1850 people began to call for a reform
• Newspapers & magazines pointed out problems w/ SS

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• President Grant persuaded Congress
• to set up the CSC in 1871

THE PENDLETON ACT

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• President Arthur pushed for reform
• Pendleton Act, passed in 1883, created
• the present federal CSS
• Civil Service System is the principle & practice of gov.
• Employment on the basis of open, competive examinations and merit

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• It operated for 95 yrs
• 2 agencies replaced it: Office of Personnel Management
• & The Merit System Protection Board

GETTING A JOB

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• Getting a federal job is hard
• In recent years every fed. job has bout 76 applicants
• # of fed. jobs has not changed since 1950
• The Office of Personnel Management is responsible
• for filling federal jobs

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• Secretarial & clerical job applicants required to take
• written test.
• Accountants, social workers, etc. are evaluated on training & experience
• Veterans are given special preferences

BENEFITS AND PROBLEMS

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• Gov. jobs have many benefits
• Salaries are competive w/ those in private industry
• 13 to 26 days of paid vacation
• Extension health plans & 13 sick days
• Retire at 55

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• Government job grading: lowest GS-1 to GS-15
• Can only be fired for specific reasons
• This system is used for political reasons

THE HATCH ACT

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• The Hatch Act limits how involved fed. gov. employees
• can become in elections.
• 1939 Congress passed the act to prevent a political party
• from using federal workers in elections campaigns
• Fed. workers dislike the Hatch Act, arguing it violates freedom of speech

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• Supporters believe it is needed to keep the fed. civil service neutral
• In 1993 Congress revised the Act
• The Hatch Act prohibits fed. employees from engaging in political
• activities while on duty.
• While off duty, they are allowed to hold office in a political party

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• They cannot, however, run for partisan elective
• offices or solicit contributions from
• the general public.

POLITICAL APPIONTEES IN GOVERNMENT

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• Each presidential election year the house or senate
• publishes a book known as the plum book.
• Plum stands for political plum- a job the new
• president may fill.

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• Every president has the chance to fill 2,200
• top-level jobs in the fed. bureaucracy before taking office.
• These jobs are outside the Civil Service System.
• They are called unclassified employees.

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• 10% of executive branch jobs are appointed by the president.
• These jobs gives presidents an opportunity to place
• loyal supporters in key places.
• Their employment usually ends when a new pres. is elected.