ABSTRACT
Presidential actions take place within a policy environment bounded by legislation and case law. This chapter explores the extent to which this perception is justified. It perceptions can be damaging if they have the effect of discouraging talented individuals from seeking employment with, or promotions within, the government because they believe their gender or ethnicity presents an obstacle. The chapter examines employment data across four presidential administrations to assess empirically whether there is a relationship between the ideology of the president in power and the demographic composition of the federal workforce, overall or in the top grade levels. The Civil Service Reform Act created a special personnel system in the executive branch called the Senior Executive Service. The chapter examines how the overall representation of women and people of color changed over the twenty-year time frame. It shows that perceptions of the impact of presidential administrations on opportunities for hiring and promotion in the federal civil service are justified.
