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U.S. Office of Personnel Management www.opm.gov - Recruiting, Retaining and Honoring a World-Class Workforce to Serve the American People

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Biography of an Ideal. A History of the Federal Civil Service. Review a message from the Director, in a new browser window
Review the Merit System Principles, in a new browser window
Review the Civil Service Act of 1883, in a new browser window
Review the Civil Service Reform Act of 1978, in a new browser window
View an Introductory Slide Show, in a new browser window 1789-1883: Ninety Six Premerit Years
Access the Full Text of the slide show, in a new browser window
1883: Merit System is Born
Access the Text-Only Version (0.7 MB)
1883-1938: The First Fifty Five Years
1938-1958: The Beginning of Modern Personnel Administration
1958-1977: From Administration to Management
Take the History Challenge Quiz, in a new browser window 1977-1979: The Second Civil Service Reform
1979-Present: Post-Reform: Gains, Losses, and Constant Change

This page can be found on the web at the following url: http://opm.gov/BiographyofAnIdeal/index.asp

 
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