Featured January 16, 2026 Celebrating 143 years of the merit-based civil service: The Pendleton Act Back to Blog A government built to change: Join us as we commemorate America at 250 Date February 24, 2026 Authors Lindsay Laferriere Tags Congress In July, we will recognize the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. Amid growing polarization, distrust in our public institutions and the Trump administration’s efforts to dramatically reshape the federal landscape, this moment marks an opportunity to recognize how our government has evolved and to invite public participation in reimagining its future. Our founders designed a government that has continuously adapted and responded to the many complex needs of the nation. While it has sometimes fallen short, for the past 250 years, our government has been the central institution for confronting shared challenges, protecting our freedoms and advancing the common good. History is littered with examples of how government can and should adapt to meet the moment, proving change is not only possible, but also constant and necessary. 1789: The first Cabinet and the management and leadership of government In the early days of our republic, President George Washington took the first steps in determining how to translate our founding documents into the management of the government. In 1789 he began assembling the first Cabinet, composed of Secretary of State Thomas Jefferson, Secretary of the Treasury Alexander Hamilton, Secretary of War Henry Knox and Attorney General Edmund Randolph. In selecting his political appointees, Washington emphasized capability over personal connections or societal status and relied on these leaders to advise him as a collective on national security and other matters of importance. His approach established a practice that has continued into modern times. The 1883 Pendleton Act: A nonpartisan and merit-based civil service For much of the 1800s, the federal workforce was based on a system of political patronage. That changed in 1881, when President James Garfield was assassinated by a disgruntled job seeker. Two years later, Congress passed the Pendleton Act to create greater fairness and transparency in government hiring. While the law initially applied to 10% of federal jobs and did not always create equal opportunity for federal job seekers based on race, ethnicity and other markers of identity, it recognized the need to build a federal workforce based on skills and merit and led to the end of the patronage, or spoils, system. This law, more than any other, laid the groundwork for our current system, which ensures that federal jobs are filled with experienced experts whose qualifications and skills determine their eligibility. Early 1900s: Department of Labor created in response to new challenges The structure, organization and functions of the government have also changed in response to moments of great societal transformation. For example, after decades of industrialization that changed the nature of labor and industry in the United States, Congress established the Department of Commerce and Labor. In 1913, the Department of Labor was elevated to a Cabinet-level department to represent the interests of the American worker. 1970s: Inspectors General and Freedom of Information Act expansion create greater accountability and openness While the Partnership’s research tells us that much of the public still views government as untrustworthy, history has shown that it can take action to create greater accountability and openness. In the wake of the Watergate scandal, Congress expanded FOIA to provide more public access to unclassified materials. Also during this period, Congress passed the Inspector General Act of 1978, which created nonpartisan, independent offices to combat waste, fraud and abuse. Today, the staffing and operations of these offices are being contested. Join us These are just a few examples of the many ways in which our federal government has changed over 2 ½ centuries. The challenge at this anniversary is for our federal government not to stand as a relic of the past, but as a promise to the future—one that must be renewed, strengthened and reimagined to meet the challenges of an ever-evolving world. Throughout this year, the Partnership will be highlighting the ways in which our government has served—and continues to serve—the public good, demonstrating how we might collectively create a government for a new era. We invite you to come along with us on this journey. Stay tuned for future blog posts and other new content. Lindsay Laferriere leads elements of the Partnership's initiative to rebuild trust and trustworthiness in our federal government.
