It cited developments including the net loss of more than 200,000 employees, the firings of watchdogs and Senate-confirmed members of independent agencies, the introduction of a politically oriented essay question in hiring, and the creation of a new Schedule G for political appointees. Image: Pamela Brick/Shutterstock.com
By: FEDweek StaffThe first year of the second Trump administration was marked by the “erosion of the nonpartisan civil service, the dismantling of important government functions and the weakening of our democracy,” the Partnership for Public Service has said, while projecting more of the same ahead.
“In just a few short months, Trump shattered the fundamental premise that our government exists to serve the public interest. He rejected the 140-year-old notion that federal employees should be chosen based on merit and experience, not on political considerations. And he has dismissed the very idea that public service is a worthwhile and necessary endeavor,” a report says.
It cited developments including the net loss of more than 200,000 employees, the firings of watchdogs and Senate-confirmed members of independent agencies, the introduction of a politically oriented essay question in hiring, the creation of a new Schedule G for political appointees involved with policy matters and the intention to create a Schedule Policy/Career for career employees, layoffs that reduced capabilities at agencies such as the CDC, and more.
It concluded with this expectation for the future:
“With a diminished capacity to effectively serve the public as well as the use of often unchecked presidential authority, the administration will likely continue the steady erosion of norms, rules and the law in 2026 that are critical for an accountable, transparent and responsible government.
“The continued attacks on the federal workforce will likely play out with new rules allowing the administration to arbitrarily and without due process protections fire tens of thousands of federal employees in “policy-influencing” roles who were hired for their expertise, not their political affiliation. At the same time, the administration has altered the hiring process to prioritize political loyalty, not merit, which risks further politicizing the workforce.
“This radical transformation will go even further, with Trump already having defied long-held norms by removing leaders of independent federal organizations with whom he disagrees, a power likely to be fully sanctioned later this year by the Supreme Court in a case involving the Federal Trade Commission.
“Elsewhere, Trump will scale his efforts at retribution against individuals and institutions he believes wronged him, including using the Justice Department as a weapon to go after his perceived enemies and critics.”
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