II.

Civil Service Act

Public indignation over the spoils system meanwhile grew throughout the country, leading to the establishment in 1877 of the New York Civil Service Reform Association and to the founding of similar organizations in other cities. The vindictive assassination of President James Garfield in 1881 by an unsuccessful candidate for a federal post transformed the question of civil service reform into a national political issue.

The National Civil Service Reform League, established in 1881, shortly before Garfield's death, led the subsequent fight for congressional action. In 1883 Congress passed and President Chester Arthur signed the Civil Service Act, sometimes referred to as the Pendleton Act, legislation that created the foundations of the American civil service system. The act established a merit-based system for filling certain classes of federal jobs. Instead of being awarded as political favors, these jobs would be filled through competitive examinations open to all citizens. The act also protected such employees from arbitrary dismissal, demotion, or coercion in any form for political reasons.

Administration of the act was assigned to an appointive board called the Civil Service Commission, which was empowered to frame the necessary rules and regulations. In addition, the president of the United States was authorized to determine, by executive order, the classes of positions subject to the jurisdiction of the commission. In 1883, upon passage of the act, only 13,900 positions—or slightly more than 10 percent of federal civilian jobs—were placed in the competitive civil service system. The range of federal jobs covered by the act was gradually extended by both executive and legislative acts. By 2002, 75 percent of all federal civilian jobs were in the competitive system.

Today, civil service positions not filled by transfer and promotion are filled from lists of qualified candidates in competitive examinations open to all citizens. Examinations are held for specific jobs, as needs require. Candidates are graded by points up to 100; the passing grade is 70. Appointments are made on merit from the appropriate list of those who passed the examination, without regard to race, religion, color, nation origin, sex, or politics.