Congress passed the Pendleton Civil Service Act in January 1883. Senator George Pendleton of Ohio sponsored the act and President Chester A. Arthur signed it into law. The act provided for open competition for federal employment, which would not be based on race, religion, politics, or national origin. Before the act was passed, federal jobs were usually awarded as political favors. Obtaining a federal job was often based more on politics than a candidate’s merit and qualifications. After the Civil War, widespread government corruption had signaled the need for change. When an applicant rejected for a federal position assassinated President James A. Garfield, Congress responded by passing this law, which established the Civil Service Commission. The commission's responsibility was to establish a fair method of hiring federal employees. Initially the law applied to about 10 percent of civilian federal workers. It currently applies to close to 90 percent of civilian federal employees. The Office of Personnel Management now performs the duties of the Civil Service Commission.
