Thursday, October 2, 2025
What is the Civil Service? How has it developed?
The civil service refers to the permanent, professional branches of a government’s administration, excluding the military, elected officials, and political appointees. In other words, it is the body of government employees who carry out the day-to-day work of governing, implementing laws, and delivering public services.
Key points about the civil service:
- Nonpartisan and professional: Civil servants are hired and promoted based on merit rather than political loyalty. This helps ensure stability and continuity of government, regardless of which party is in power.
- Broad responsibilities: They staff government departments and agencies, handling areas like education, transportation, health, taxation, law enforcement, social services, and foreign relations.
- Different from political leadership: While elected officials and political appointees set policies and priorities, civil servants are responsible for executing those policies.
- Merit system: In most modern democracies, civil service jobs are filled through competitive exams, qualifications, or performance, replacing earlier systems of political patronage (sometimes called the "spoils system" in U.S. history).
How has it developed?
1. Early System: Patronage ("Spoils System")
In the early republic, government jobs were often awarded as political rewards. The phrase "to the victor belong the spoils" summed up the idea: when a new party won the presidency, it filled government positions with its supporters. This created instability (mass turnovers after elections) and encouraged corruption and incompetence.
2. Civil Service Reform & the Pendleton Act (1883)
After President James A. Garfield was assassinated in 1881 by a disgruntled office-seeker, momentum grew to reform the system. Congress passed the Pendleton Civil Service Reform Act in 1883. Created the Civil Service Commission to oversee hiring. Established that government jobs should be awarded based on merit (competitive exams, qualifications), not political connections. Initially, only about 10% of federal jobs were covered, but this expanded over time.
3. Expansion of the Merit System
Over the 20th century, presidents and Congress gradually extended civil service protections. By the mid-20th century, most federal jobs were classified under the civil service system.
4. Civil Service Reform Act of 1978
Abolished the old Civil Service Commission. Created three new bodies:
- Office of Personnel Management (OPM): handles recruitment, exams, and HR functions.
- Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB): protects employees from unfair practices.
- Federal Labor Relations Authority (FLRA): oversees labor-management relations.
5. Today
The U.S. civil service is a massive workforce (over 2 million civilian employees). Civil servants are protected from arbitrary firing and political coercion, ensuring continuity of government across administrations. Political appointees (like cabinet secretaries and top agency heads) still exist, but they are a small percentage compared to career civil servants.
Key points about the civil service:
- Nonpartisan and professional: Civil servants are hired and promoted based on merit rather than political loyalty. This helps ensure stability and continuity of government, regardless of which party is in power.
- Broad responsibilities: They staff government departments and agencies, handling areas like education, transportation, health, taxation, law enforcement, social services, and foreign relations.
- Different from political leadership: While elected officials and political appointees set policies and priorities, civil servants are responsible for executing those policies.
- Merit system: In most modern democracies, civil service jobs are filled through competitive exams, qualifications, or performance, replacing earlier systems of political patronage (sometimes called the "spoils system" in U.S. history).
How has it developed?
1. Early System: Patronage ("Spoils System")
In the early republic, government jobs were often awarded as political rewards. The phrase "to the victor belong the spoils" summed up the idea: when a new party won the presidency, it filled government positions with its supporters. This created instability (mass turnovers after elections) and encouraged corruption and incompetence.
2. Civil Service Reform & the Pendleton Act (1883)
After President James A. Garfield was assassinated in 1881 by a disgruntled office-seeker, momentum grew to reform the system. Congress passed the Pendleton Civil Service Reform Act in 1883. Created the Civil Service Commission to oversee hiring. Established that government jobs should be awarded based on merit (competitive exams, qualifications), not political connections. Initially, only about 10% of federal jobs were covered, but this expanded over time.
3. Expansion of the Merit System
Over the 20th century, presidents and Congress gradually extended civil service protections. By the mid-20th century, most federal jobs were classified under the civil service system.
4. Civil Service Reform Act of 1978
Abolished the old Civil Service Commission. Created three new bodies:
- Office of Personnel Management (OPM): handles recruitment, exams, and HR functions.
- Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB): protects employees from unfair practices.
- Federal Labor Relations Authority (FLRA): oversees labor-management relations.
5. Today
The U.S. civil service is a massive workforce (over 2 million civilian employees). Civil servants are protected from arbitrary firing and political coercion, ensuring continuity of government across administrations. Political appointees (like cabinet secretaries and top agency heads) still exist, but they are a small percentage compared to career civil servants.
Wednesday, October 1, 2025
From Wikipedia: Third Treaty of San Ildefonso
How did France acquire Louisianna from Spain?
- Click here for the entry.
The Third Treaty of San Ildefonso was a secret agreement signed on 1 October 1800 between Spain and the French Republic by which Spain agreed in principle to exchange its North American colony of Louisiana for territories in Tuscany. The terms were later confirmed by the March 1801 Treaty of Aranjuez.
From AI Overview: What is Propaganda?
Propaganda is the strategic spread of biased or misleading information to manipulate public opinion and achieve a specific goal. While the term often has a negative connotation in Western countries, referring to deceptive tactics, the core concept is the purposeful dissemination of information to influence people's thoughts and actions. Propaganda is distinct from general persuasion because it relies on emotional manipulation and appeals rather than rational debate.
Types and techniques of propaganda
Modern propaganda uses many different techniques, often in combination, to achieve its objectives. - Name-calling: Discredits an opponent by associating them with negative symbols or derogatory words.
Glittering generalities: Uses vague, emotionally appealing phrases or slogans that lack specific detail, such as "Make America Great Again" or "Build Back Better".
- Bandwagon: Creates a sense of widespread support to pressure people into conforming with the majority opinion out of a fear of missing out.
- Testimonial: Uses a celebrity, expert, or respected figure to endorse a particular product, person, or idea.
- Plain folks: Aims to persuade an audience by projecting the image that the communicator is a "regular person" who shares their values.
- Transfer: Associates the positive or negative qualities of one thing (like a respected symbol or a disliked group) with another.
- Card stacking: Selectively presents information to emphasize positive aspects while omitting any negative or contradictory facts.
- Appeal to fear: Exploits existing fears and anxieties to persuade an audience.
- Ad nauseam: Repeats an idea or slogan so frequently that the audience becomes accustomed to it and begins to accept it.
- Scapegoating: Blames a particular person or group for complex problems to divert public attention and outrage.
Modern propaganda in the digital age
New technologies have enabled more sophisticated and rapid dissemination of propaganda.
- Bots and algorithms: Social media bots are used to automatically spread biased information, create fake news, and manipulate online discussions.
- Deepfakes: Highly realistic manipulated videos and audio blur the line between reality and fiction, making it difficult to distinguish real content from falsehoods.
- Micro-targeting: Algorithms and big data allow propagandists to target individuals with tailored messages based on their personal information, beliefs, and online behavior.
- Echo chambers: Personalized content and social media algorithms can reinforce existing beliefs by showing users only content that aligns with their views, limiting their exposure to opposing perspectives.
- Computational propaganda: This strategy involves broadcasting a massive number of messages rapidly and repetitively over multiple channels to overwhelm people with one-sided information.
Examples of modern propaganda
Propaganda exists in many forms, from political messaging to commercial advertising.
- Political advertising: Campaigns use emotional appeals, slogans, and targeted ads to sway voters. For example, the 2016 U.S. presidential election saw disinformation campaigns orchestrated by Russia to spread political rumors on social media.
- State-sponsored campaigns: Governments use propaganda to shape public opinion both domestically and abroad. Examples include the Chinese government's use of media to promote its ideology and terrorist organizations like ISIS using social media to recruit and promote their message.
- Corporate "greenwashing": Companies engage in a form of corporate propaganda by presenting themselves as environmentally friendly through public relations campaigns, despite unsustainable business practices.
- Public health campaigns: Some propaganda can be used for positive ends, such as the Smokey Bear Wildfire Prevention campaign, which uses emotional appeals to promote a responsible public good.
- Media bias: Paid articles or broadcast segments disguised as objective news are a form of covert propaganda designed to persuade rather than inform.
Types and techniques of propaganda
Modern propaganda uses many different techniques, often in combination, to achieve its objectives. - Name-calling: Discredits an opponent by associating them with negative symbols or derogatory words.
Glittering generalities: Uses vague, emotionally appealing phrases or slogans that lack specific detail, such as "Make America Great Again" or "Build Back Better".
- Bandwagon: Creates a sense of widespread support to pressure people into conforming with the majority opinion out of a fear of missing out.
- Testimonial: Uses a celebrity, expert, or respected figure to endorse a particular product, person, or idea.
- Plain folks: Aims to persuade an audience by projecting the image that the communicator is a "regular person" who shares their values.
- Transfer: Associates the positive or negative qualities of one thing (like a respected symbol or a disliked group) with another.
- Card stacking: Selectively presents information to emphasize positive aspects while omitting any negative or contradictory facts.
- Appeal to fear: Exploits existing fears and anxieties to persuade an audience.
- Ad nauseam: Repeats an idea or slogan so frequently that the audience becomes accustomed to it and begins to accept it.
- Scapegoating: Blames a particular person or group for complex problems to divert public attention and outrage.
Modern propaganda in the digital age
New technologies have enabled more sophisticated and rapid dissemination of propaganda.
- Bots and algorithms: Social media bots are used to automatically spread biased information, create fake news, and manipulate online discussions.
- Deepfakes: Highly realistic manipulated videos and audio blur the line between reality and fiction, making it difficult to distinguish real content from falsehoods.
- Micro-targeting: Algorithms and big data allow propagandists to target individuals with tailored messages based on their personal information, beliefs, and online behavior.
- Echo chambers: Personalized content and social media algorithms can reinforce existing beliefs by showing users only content that aligns with their views, limiting their exposure to opposing perspectives.
- Computational propaganda: This strategy involves broadcasting a massive number of messages rapidly and repetitively over multiple channels to overwhelm people with one-sided information.
Examples of modern propaganda
Propaganda exists in many forms, from political messaging to commercial advertising.
- Political advertising: Campaigns use emotional appeals, slogans, and targeted ads to sway voters. For example, the 2016 U.S. presidential election saw disinformation campaigns orchestrated by Russia to spread political rumors on social media.
- State-sponsored campaigns: Governments use propaganda to shape public opinion both domestically and abroad. Examples include the Chinese government's use of media to promote its ideology and terrorist organizations like ISIS using social media to recruit and promote their message.
- Corporate "greenwashing": Companies engage in a form of corporate propaganda by presenting themselves as environmentally friendly through public relations campaigns, despite unsustainable business practices.
- Public health campaigns: Some propaganda can be used for positive ends, such as the Smokey Bear Wildfire Prevention campaign, which uses emotional appeals to promote a responsible public good.
- Media bias: Paid articles or broadcast segments disguised as objective news are a form of covert propaganda designed to persuade rather than inform.
For 10.1.25
For ChatGPT:
- what is a government shutdown?
- when was the federal fiscal year set at October 1 to September 30?
- what was the federal fiscal year prior to 1974?
- what was the federal fiscal year in the first congress?
- how did Henry the 8th use the star chamber?
- what was the longest government shutdown?
- what was the star chamber?
- when all the rail gauges in the us were made the same.
Links:
- Eli Lilly State Lobbying Disclosure Chart.
- Client Profile: Eli Lilly & Co.
- Public policy engagement and political participation.
- Government shutdown begins after federal funding expires.
- Introduction to the Federal Budget Process.
- Appropriations Status Table: FY2026.
- Government shutdowns in the United States.
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