In the Context of the Federal Bureaucracy, the Merit System

In the context of the federal bureaucracy, the merit system refers to a system of

A) filling the bureaucracy based on criteria of political loyalty.
B) filling the bureaucracy based on criteria of professional qualifications.
C) filling the bureaucracy based on the results of direct popular election for department heads.
D) requiring congressional approval for presidential appointees.
E) establishing a system of congressional oversight through the possibility of impeachment.