ABSTRACT
The term “merit system” refers to a set of rules and procedures commonly established to fill and manage positions in government that comprise the civil service. A merit system is the primary means by which the merit principle in pubic employment is implemented. The merit principle, in turn, refers to the idea that public employees should be selected and promoted on the basis of merit defined in terms of a demonstrated ability to perform the jobs at issue. Merit systems are contrasted most clearly with patronage systems in which government employment is achieved largely on the basis of political connections as opposed to technical qualifications. Merit systems are designed to limit the intrusion of politics into the staffing and management of the civil service.
