The Pendleton Act

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The Pendleton Act

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The Pendleton Act established the principle of employment on the basis of open competitive examinations, thereby creating a merit system for government employment. This was a major change from the spoils system, which allowed political parties to reward their supporters with government jobs regardless of qualifications. The act did not extend federal civil service protections to the states, reorganize the federal government, or increase the number of government employees selected by the spoils system. While the concept of a merit system was established during the Civil War, it was the Pendleton Act that institutionalized it in the federal government.