Dylan, Matt, Colleen, Taylor Mr. Stroman 4/17/12

  The civil service is composed of civilian employees who perform administrative work for the government  Specifically all appointive positions in the executive, judicial, and legislative branches of the Government of the United States, except positions in the uniformed services. What is the Civil Service?

  Beginning with George Washington each President would mainly appoint those in their parties to office  With each following changes in administration all of the opposing parties officers and fill each office with members of their own party Beginnings

  In 1829 Andrew Jackson became known as the father of the spoils system when he dismissed over 200 presidential appointees and nearly 2,000 other officeholders  The spoils system is known as the practice of giving offices and other favors of government to political supporters and friends Spoils System

  With so many personal favors circulating through politics, corruption was commonplace  Attempts were made with the creation of the Civil Service Commission which soon failed  Finally after the murder of President James Garfield Congress passed the Pendleton Act-the Civil Service Act of 1883 Movement to Reform

  The main purpose was to make merit the basis for hiring, promotion, and other personnel actions in the federal work force  By the end of Theodore Roosevelt’s term in 1909 nearly two thirds of the federal work force was covered by the umbrella  Today, nearly 90 percent of all in executive branch agencies are covered by the merit system The Pendleton Act

  After the elimination of the spoils system, the new goal became keeping the best available people in the federal work force  The OPM was created in 1978 which works as the central clearinghouse in the federal recruiting, examining, and hiring process  When there is a job opening in an agency the OPM sends the names of the top three persons on its register Office of Personnel Management

  The OPM has passed a number of laws since its beginning  One, the Hatch Act of 1939 which allowed federal workers to vote in elections, but forbade them to take part in partisan political activities  Two, the new Hatch Act of 1993 gave workers the right to vote help register new voters, contribute money to candidates and parties, participate in campaigns and even hold office in a political party. Political Activities