The U.S. Civil Service System

1
The U.S. Civil Service System

• I. Introduction
• A. Related to Max Webers conception of
  bureaucracy
• B. Reaction against patronage or spoils
• II. History of the Civil Service System
• A. Good Standards Period (Govt. By Gentlemen)
  includes 1st six Presidents
• B. Election of Andrew Jackson as President
• 1. common man approach to hiring
• 2. began spoils system
• 3. belief in rotation in office with no
  social class in charge

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U.S. Civil Service System

• C. Grant Presidency corruption
• D. 1870 Civil Service Act
• 1. creation of Civil Service Commission
• 2. job roles identified
• 3. Failed due to lack of funding
• E. Excesses/Problems with Spoils System
  Identified
• -5 different problems

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F. Assassination of Garfield

• Announcement of the Assassination of President
  Garfield to Representatives of the United States
  AbroadSeptember 20, 1881
• LONG BRANCH, N.J., September 20, 1881.
• LOWELL, Minister, London
• James A. Garfield, President of the United
  States, died at Elberon, N.J., last night at ten
  minutes before 11 o'clock. For nearly eighty days
  he suffered great pain, and during the entire
  period exhibited extraordinary patience,
  fortitude, and Christian resignation. The sorrow
  throughout the country is deep and universal.
  Fifty millions of people stand as mourners by his
  bier. Today, at his residence in the city of New
  York, Chester A. Arthur, Vice-President, took the
  oath of office as President, to which he succeeds
  by virtue of the Constitution. President Arthur
  has entered upon the discharge of his duties. You
  will formally communicate these facts to the
  British Government and transmit this dispatch by
  telegraph to the American ministers on the
  Continent for like communication to the
  Governments to which they are respectively
  accredited.

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Death of Garfield

• Guiteau never had any position of importance in
  the Garfield campaign except in his own mind.
  Guiteau's behavior had always been erratic, and
  it is possible that he contracted venereal
  diseases that further aggravated his mental
  problems. He was inspired to write a speech,
  which he hoped that Garfield would use in a
  debate with the Democratic presidential
  candidate, W.S. Hancock.

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Garfield Shooting

• Garfield never even read the speech, much less
  used it in the debate, but Guiteau was convinced
  that Garfield won the election thanks to his
  speech. Guiteau demanded to be appointed
  ambassador to France, and he even personally
  accosted Secretary of State James G. Blaine
  several times.

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Garfield shooting

• Blaine tried to put Guiteau off politely, but be
  eventually lost patience and, on their final
  encounter, pushed Guiteau away and told him never
  to bother him again.
• Bitter with resentment, Guiteau decided to take
  revenge against Garfield. Guiteau trailed
  Garfield throughout the month of June 1881,
  waiting for the right opportunity.

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Garfield shooting

• On July 2, Guiteau got his chance. The Washington
  newspapers had reported Garfield's plans to go on
  a trip with his family, and Guiteau waited for
  the president at the train station, from where he
  was to leave. In the station's lobby, Guiteau
  came from behind Garfield and shot the president
  in the back. Station police rushed to arrest
  Guiteau, who offered no resistance.
• Cite lta href"http//law.jrank.org/pages/2665/Ch
  arles-Guiteau-Trial-1881-Imaginary-Insult-Prompts-
  Revenge.html"gtCharles Guiteau Trial 1881 -
  Imaginary Insult Prompts Revengelt/agt

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Trial of Guiteau

• Defendant Charles J. GuiteauCrime
  Charged Assassinating President James A.
  GarfieldChief Defense Lawyers Leigh Robinson
  and George ScovilleChief Prosecutors George
  Corkhill, Walter Davidge, John K. Porter, Elihu
  Root, and E.B. SmithJudge Walter
  CoxPlace Washington, D.C.Dates of
  Trial November 14, 1881-January 13,
  1882Verdict GuiltySentence Death by
  hangingRead more http//law.jrank.org/pages/266
  8/Charles-Guiteau-Trial-1881.htmlixzz0TqBQIBMv

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Civil Service

• G. Passage of Pendleton Act in 1883
• 1. structural change
• 2. Three different principles
• 3. Coverage of act was small
• H. FDR Presidency
• 1. Blanketing provisions
• a. Blanketing in
• b. Blanketing out

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U.S. Civil Service System

• I. Carter Administration Changes
• 1. negative protections
• 2. positive incentives
• 3. Elimination of CSC
• 4. Creation of two new agencies
• a. Merit Systems Protection Board
• b. Office of Personnel Management (OPM)
• J. Reagan Presidency
• -return to patronage

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U.S. Civil Service System

• K. Clinton Administration NPR (Gore report)
• -focused on reinventing government
• 1. Deregulated personnel policy by eliminating
  hiring manual
• 2. Gave all agencies authority to hire own
  employees
• 3. Simplified classification system and gave
  more discretion to agencies

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U.S. Civil Service System

• 4. Allowed agencies to design own performance
  appraisals
• 5. Cut time to terminate ineffective managers
  in half
• The ultimate goal of NPR is to force
  administrators to remember the customer as first
  priority

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U.S. Civil Service System

• L. George W. Bush Administration
• -Issued memo on Inauguration day stating that no
  hiring was to be made until approved by
  presidential appointee
• -Tried to gain control of fed. Bureaucracy
• -Appointed Clay Johnson, college roommate, as
  presidential personnel director to evaluate
  party faithful. Can fill up to 6000 jobs in
  Plum book.