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Pendleton Act
Last discussed Aug 28, 2026
An 1883 U.S. federal law that established merit-based civil service examinations for government employees, replacing the spoils system.
Recently discussed in
Did Odysseus Make the Right Choice?
Joe Lonsdale · Aug 28, 2026
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Joe Lonsdale
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Used for: Understanding the history of merit-based civil service reform in America and how to restore competence to government institutions
Praised: Established merit-based testing correlated with job performance; enabled gove...
vs: Compared to China's civil service exam system as a historical parallel
"I think you're referring to the essay on the Pendleton Act, which is something I've become obsessed with recently — this 1883 act. American government massively expanded in the Civil War, and after Lincoln was gone, for the next 15 years whenever ..."
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