Pendleton Civil Service Reform Act

E94785

United States federal law civil service reform law

The Pendleton Civil Service Reform Act was an 1883 U.S. federal law that established a merit-based system for government employment, reducing patronage and the spoils system in the civil service.

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Observed surface forms (2)

Surface form	Occurrences
Pendleton Act	1
Pendleton Civil Service Reform Act of 1883	1

Statements (48)

Predicate	Object
instanceOf	United States federal law ⓘ civil service reform law ⓘ
addressedProblem	political patronage in federal hiring ⓘ spoils system ⓘ
alsoKnownAs	Pendleton Civil Service Reform Act ⓘ surface form: Pendleton Act
appliesTo	federal government employees in classified service ⓘ
branchAffected	executive branch of the United States government NERFINISHED ⓘ
chamberInvolved	United States House of Representatives NERFINISHED ⓘ United States Senate ⓘ
codifiedIn	Title 5 of the United States Code ⓘ surface form: Title 5 of the United States Code (as later recodified)
country	United States of America ⓘ surface form: United States
created	United States Civil Service Commission (adjudicatory functions) ⓘ surface form: United States Civil Service Commission
dateEnacted	1883-01-16 ⓘ
effect	created competitive examinations for certain federal jobs ⓘ made it illegal to fire or demote covered employees for political reasons ⓘ professionalized the United States civil service ⓘ prohibited solicitation of political contributions on federal property ⓘ reduced power of political machines over federal appointments ⓘ
establishedBody	United States Civil Service Commission NERFINISHED ⓘ
governs	selection and tenure of certain federal employees ⓘ
historicalEra	Gilded Age NERFINISHED ⓘ
influenced	later federal civil service legislation ⓘ
influencedBy	civil service reform movement in the United States ⓘ
initialCoverage	about 10 percent of federal government positions ⓘ
introducedBy	George H. Pendleton NERFINISHED ⓘ
jurisdiction	United States government ⓘ surface form: United States federal government
languageOfDocument	English ⓘ
legalStatus	in force as amended ⓘ
legislativeBody	United States Congress ⓘ
longTermImpact	expanded merit-based coverage to most federal positions over time ⓘ
namedAfter	George H. Pendleton NERFINISHED ⓘ
politicalContext	enacted after the assassination of President James A. Garfield ⓘ
politicalSupportFrom	Mugwumps ⓘ reform-minded Republicans ⓘ
precededBy	widespread use of patronage in federal appointments ⓘ
presidentAtEnactment	Chester A. Arthur NERFINISHED ⓘ
prohibits	mandatory political assessments from covered federal employees ⓘ
purpose	curb the spoils system in federal appointments ⓘ establish a merit-based system for federal government employment ⓘ reduce patronage in federal civil service ⓘ
regulates	federal civil service employment practices ⓘ
shortDescription	1883 U.S. civil service reform law establishing merit-based federal employment ⓘ
signedBy	Chester A. Arthur NERFINISHED ⓘ
subjectArea	labor law ⓘ political reform ⓘ public administration ⓘ
typeOfReform	merit system reform ⓘ
yearEnacted	1883 ⓘ

Referenced by (5)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

Pendleton Civil Service Reform Act → alsoKnownAs → Pendleton Civil Service Reform Act ⓘ

this entity surface form: Pendleton Act

United States Civil Service → governedBy → Pendleton Civil Service Reform Act ⓘ

Chester A. Arthur → knownFor → Pendleton Civil Service Reform Act ⓘ

United States Civil Service → reformMilestone → Pendleton Civil Service Reform Act ⓘ

this entity surface form: Pendleton Civil Service Reform Act of 1883

Chester A. Arthur → signed → Pendleton Civil Service Reform Act ⓘ