OPM Marks the 119th Anniversary of the Pendleton Act
Act changed hiring process for federal positions, making merit basis for hiring

Washington, D.C. -- Tomorrow marks the 119th anniversary of the Pendleton Act, which brought an end to the "spoils system" and allowed people to secure federal jobs because of who they knew.

"We owe a great deal to the Pendleton Act and the man it was named after, Senator George H. Pendleton, because it is the Act that created a merit-based civil service, one that is built on knowledge, skills and abilities," said U.S. Office of Personnel Management Director Kay Coles James.

Prior to the Civil War, a "spoils system" existed in the U.S., and people became government employees not because they were the best qualified, but because they had an "in." But on January 16, 1883, following the assassination of President James A. Garfield by a disgruntled job seeker, the Pendleton Act dismantled the corrupt system of personal patronage, and in its place established a system where a person's qualifications earned them the job. It required federal positions be filled through competitive examinations which were open to all citizens, as well as selection of the best qualified applicant, without regard to political considerations. Merit, as a basis for hiring, was now guaranteed by law.

The immensely important Pendleton Act was - and remains - a blueprint for a civil service America could respect and trust. Its basic principles, which have not changed for 119 years, have stood both the test of time and the transition of the U.S. from an agricultural society to the most complex industrial society in the world.

"As Director of OPM, I see first-hand the importance of having a qualified federal work force that can meet the demands of the American people," said James. "Federal employees meet the challenges they face every day because they have been hired as a result of their qualifications and their ability to get the job done."

OPM oversees the federal work force and provides the American public with up-to-date employment information. OPM also supports U.S. agencies with personnel services and policy leadership including staffing tools, guidance on labor-management relations and programs to improve work force performance.