Lesson 55: Staffing the Bureaucracy
In this lesson, we will learn about the Plum Book, or the Government Policies
and Supporting Positions book published every four years by the federal
government. We will then discuss the spoils system instituted by Andrew Jackson
and how it was later replaced by the merit system. We will also learn about the
Civil Service Reform Act of 1978 designed to further improve the merit system
of government. Finally, we will look at the Hatch Act and the limitations
placed on federal employees when it comes to political activity.
The Plum Book, as it is called, is the Government Policy and Supporting
Positions book that is published after each presidential election. It lists
around 10,000 civil service support and leadership positions that are filled by
noncompetitive appointment.
It is true aristocracy at work when the president fills these political
appointments. Since they are often used to pay off political debts, these jobs
are temporary positions that the person may not even have the background to do.
An attempt to fire a civil servant will get tied up in an appeal that could
take months and even years. It could last longer than the appointee's time as
head of the bureaucracy. This system is designed so that appointees really do
not have the ability to make any sweeping changes in the little time they are
there.
When Andrew Jackson entered office, he found all of the appointed officials
hostile towards him and the Democratic party. Those officials had been
appointed before he took office, so they were not loyal to him. His solution
was to fire them all and that started the tradition of the Spoils System, the
awarding of government jobs to political supporters and friends.
As the bureaucracy grew and the spoils system became more corrupt, calls for a
new civil service system grew louder. The Merit System was adopted in 1883, and
requires that the selection, retention, and promotion of government employees
be on the basis of competitive examinations.
The Civil Service Reform Act of 1883, also known as the Pendleton Act,
established the Merit System of federal government employment and created the
Civil Service Commission to administer the personnel service.
The Civil Service Commission was abolished in 1978 by the Civil Service Reform
Act. Two new federal agencies were formed: the Office of Personnel Management
was put in place to recruit and hire qualified individuals to career positions,
while the Merit Systems Protection Board was created to oversee promotions,
employees' rights, and other matters of employment.
When Franklin D. Roosevelt was elected, he put together the New Deal which
brought with it many new government agencies that needed to be staffed. The
civil servants put into these positions felt beholden to the Democratic party
and as a result, heavily supported Democratic campaign efforts.
That is why the Hatch Act was put into place. It prohibited federal employees
from participating in the management of campaigns. Also, federal authority was
not allowed to be used to influence nominations, and federal employees could
not be forced to make contributions.
The laws have eased up over the years. The Federal Employees Political
Activities Act of 1993 modified the Hatch Act to allow federal employees to run
for office and participate in registration drives as long as they are not on
duty or on federal property. They can make contributions and participate in
campaigns for candidates they support.