Pendleton Civil Service Reform Act- Government

Pendleton Civil Service Reform Act.

An Act to Regulate and Improve the Civil Service of the United States. Jan. 16, 1883.

Background

• Passed after the assassination of President James A. Garfield
• Pushed through Congress by Senator George Hunt Pendleton of Ohio
• Signed into law by President Chester A. Arthur

Main Idea

Its main purpose was to make merit, the quality of one’s work, the basis for hiring, promotion and other personnel actions in the federal workforce

Section 11. That no...employee of any department, branch or bureau of the executive, judicial, or military or naval service of the United States, shall, directly or indirectly, solicit or receive, or be in any manner concerned in soliciting or receiving, any assessment, subscription, or contribution for any political purpose whatever, from any officer, clerk, or employee of the United States, or any department, branch, or bureau thereof, or from any person receiving any salary or compensation from moneys derived from the Treasury of the United States.

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Section 13. No officer or employee of the United States menitioned in this act shall discharge, or promote, or degrade, or in manner change the official rank or compensation of any other officer or employee, or promise or threaten so to do, for giving or withholding or neglecting to make any contribution of money or other valuable thing for any political purpose.

Section 15. That any person who shall be guilty of violating any provision of the four foregoing sections [Covers sections 11 and 13] shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor, and shall, on conviction thereof, be punished by a fine not exceeding five thousand dollars, or by imprisonment for a term not exceeding three years, or by such fine and imprisonment both, in the discretion of the court.

In other words

• The act established a three-person bipartisan panel which created exams to give to those wishing to be hired as a federal employee as civil service jobs.
• Jobs were to be rewarded by merit and employees were hired by taking competitive exams.
• The act made it unlawful to fire or demote any federal employee for any political reasons protected by the law.
• Also, the act prohibited laws requiring federal employees to give political services or contributions.

The act eliminated the spoils system established most prominently in the Jackson presidency, in which the president chose people with close ties and much support for him to serve in appointed government offices.

This is why The Pendlenton Act was passed

How does The Pendlenton Act affected our government today?

• Now, more educated professionals serve in the Federal service.
• It established the United States Civil Service Commission to enforce the act.
• It used to cover only 10% of federal jobs, but now more than 90% of the 2.7 million federal jobs are covered by this act.

The Pendleton Act

By Kychelle Del Rosario

Block 2A