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  • AMERICA CAN'T AFFORD BILLIONAIRES

  • WORKING-CLASS PROTECTIONS

  • CIVIL SERVICE REFORM

CIVIL SERVICE REFORM

Problem

America’s civil service was created to ensure that government works for the public — not for political parties, donors, or personal loyalty networks. But decades of underfunding, politicization, and outdated systems have weakened the federal workforce. Agencies struggle to recruit and retain experts because public-sector salaries lag behind the private sector, and bureaucratic hiring processes take months rather than weeks. Veterans and career staff are pushed out or silenced when administrations change, while political appointees with little subject knowledge are placed into critical roles. The result is a slower, weaker, and more politicized government — one that often fails at basic service delivery and loses the public's trust it was designed to serve.

Solution

Civil service reform means building a strong, modern, and independent public workforce with protections that prioritize skill, performance, and accountability. That starts with streamlining hiring and raising government pay to reflect the market — especially in shortage areas like cybersecurity, housing, public health, and environmental science. Merit-based hiring must be preserved, while limiting the number of political appointees and closing loopholes that allow presidents to replace senior civil servants with partisan loyalists. Investing in training, leadership development, and digital modernization would give agencies the tools to deliver services quickly and effectively. Strong whistleblower protections, clear performance metrics, and transparent budgeting ensure workers stay focused on public outcomes instead of political pressure.

Bottom Line

Government cannot function for the people if it is hollowed out, underpaid, or controlled by whichever faction holds power this election cycle. A healthy civil service protects democracy by ensuring that expertise — not ideology — runs the essential systems Americans rely on every day: Social Security checks, disaster relief, food safety, clean water, housing support, and veterans’ care. Civil service reform rebuilds confidence in government by making it competent, accountable, and insulated from corruption and political interference. If we want a government that works for the public, we must rebuild the workforce that keeps it running.