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.
