The civil service system essay

A civil service system can be defined as the administrative part of a government or the employees of a government excluding military personnel. They are merit based jobs and prospective employees are required to take exams to be considered for employment. According to their website, “The Federal civil service includes all appointive positions in the executive, judicial, and legislative branches of the Federal Government, except positions in the uniformed services” (Personnel Manager, 1998) and consists of The Competitive Service, The Excepted Service, and The Senior Executive Service.The Competitive Service includes all civilian positions in the Federal Government that are not specifically excepted from the civil service laws by Statute, by the President or Office of Personnel Management and are not in the Senior Executive Service(SES)” (Personnel Manager, 1998) . The Excepted Service is the branch of the federal civil service system in which are positions that are “directed by the President, by law, or Executive Order, because of their confidential, policy-determining, or policy-advocating character” (Personnel Manager, 1998).

For example, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Central Intelligence Agency would be part of the Excepted Service as they generally deal with confidential cases on a regular basis. The Senior Executive Service is completely separate from the other two services. It was established in 1979 because of the Civil Service Reform Act. “The purpose of the SES is to ensure that the executive management of the Government is responsive to the needs, policies, and goals of the nation and otherwise of the highest quality” (Personnel Manager, 1998).