By Amy Johnson (LDS 406)

Information contained in this article is not original and is from numerous sources, including the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), the General Services Administration (GSA) and the Partnership for Public Service

Public Service Recognition Week (PSRW) is a week dedicated to honoring our public servants. Since 1985, Public Service Recognition Week has been celebrated the first week of May, beginning on the first Sunday of the month. PSRW will be observed from Sunday, May 5, to Saturday, May 11, 2019. Organized annually by the Public Employees Roundtable and its member organizations, PSRW honors the men and women who serve our nation as Federal, state, county, and local government employees.

A civil servant or public servant is a person employed in the public sector on behalf of a government department or agency. A civil servant or public servant’s first priority is to represent the interests of citizens. The Federal civil service is defined as “all appointive positions in the executive, judicial, and legislative branches of the Government of the United States, except positions in the uniformed services.”

Origins of the Civil Service 
The modern meritocratic civil service can be traced back to imperial China. Based on merit, this system was designed to select the best administrative officials for the state’s bureaucracy. This system had a huge influence on both society and culture in imperial China and was directly responsible for the creation of a class of scholar-bureaucrats irrespective of their family pedigree.

In the United States, the Federal civil service was established in 1871. In the early 19th century, government jobs were held at the pleasure of the President—a person could be fired at any time. This meant that jobs were used to support political parties. The Pendleton Civil Service Reform Act of 1883 and subsequent laws slowly changed this arrangement. By 1909, almost two-thirds of the U.S. Federal workforce was appointed based on merit—that is, qualifications measured by tests. Certain senior civil service positions, including some heads of diplomatic missions and executive agencies, are filled by political appointees. Under the Hatch Act of 1939, civil servants are not allowed to engage in political activities while performing their duties.

Theodore Roosevelt worked to ensure a hiring system for America’s government workers based on fairness and equal access and protection for all—making him the undisputed father of today’s Federal service. Throughout his life he fought to make strides for a merit-based civil service system. Roosevelt began with setting the foundation of the Civil Service Reform Act of 1883, and during his seven years as President the foundations of the modern Federal Government were laid. Under his influence many new agencies were created to fill long-standing needs. His leadership brought a thriving period of major government expansion that developed into the current Federal service system.

Today’s Modern Civil Service 
Today’s Federal workforce is composed largely of knowledge-based, professional occupations—a much different picture from the largely clerical occupations that dominated the previous century’s workforce. The entire Federal Government is made up of an estimated 9 million civilian employees, 1.8 million of whom work in full-time, permanent, nonseasonal positions. Nearly two-thirds of these employees work in professional and administrative positions.

Unlike the private sector, the government’s success is judged by how it serves the broader public interest, promotes the general social welfare, and protects society and its citizens. The Federal Government also aspires to be a model employer and an example for others, with a long and respected tradition of placing a high value on merit, nonpartisan independence, preference for our veterans, equal employment opportunity and nondiscrimination, due process, and collective bargaining.

The Future Civil Service 
The work of government has changed. The ways we work and the skills we need have changed—and the world has changed. There must be a commitment to taking actions that will attract and retain the best talent in the Federal workforce and foster a culture of excellence. No reform effort will be successful without strong leadership to drive its successful implementation. There is no better time than PSRW to start the conversation on how to modernize the civil service to create a system that public servants deserve and that will produce the results our country needs.

Good government starts with good people. Our nation is fortunate to count some of the brightest, most dedicated professionals among its ranks.

To find events in your area or to read more about this topic, visit https://www.opm.gov/about-us/our-mission-role-history/public-service-recognition-week/.