ABSTRACT
Conflict and compromise are the parents of the contemporary system of personnel management for most government employees. That system is frequently referred to as a merit system, emphasizing the principle that people are hired and fired because of their ability to complete assigned tasks, rather than on the basis of their ties to a political party or because of their sex, age, or race. The decision to use merit instead of political patronage as the basis for appointing people to most positions in the executive branch was a fundamental policy choice. This chapter presents an historical overview of how and why merit principles were adopted. In some jurisdictions, the formal adoption of a merit system was little more than a symbolic gesture. The demands of scientific management and position classification, plus the requirements of the merit system, meant that people were needed to conduct job analyses, classify positions, develop examinations, design training programs, and establish compensation systems.
