Replacing Political Appointments with Career Civil Servants: Building a Government of Earned Authority

Campaign Briefing: Public Trust

October 3, 2025

I. INTRODUCTION: PROFESSIONAL GOVERNANCE OVER POLITICAL FAVOR

“Leadership in government should not be the reward of loyalty—but the result of public service.”

The current system of federal appointments, shaped by the Plum Book, assigns hundreds of key operational roles—many with policy authority and command over large civil service teams—to political appointees selected by the President or senior political staff. While some of these roles, such as Cabinet Secretaries, are intended to represent the administration’s political vision and should remain presidentially appointed and Senate-confirmed, most subcabinet and agency leadership roles do not need to be politicized.

This briefing expands the proposal to systematically convert most political appointments—including those requiring Senate confirmation (PAS), those not requiring it (PA), and many Schedule C and non-career SES posts—into merit-based civil service roles filled competitively through SES or GS career pathways.

II. EXCEPTION CLAUSE: THE ROLE OF THE CABINET

The Cabinet—comprising department Secretaries and a small number of direct executive officers—represents the elected President’s direction and political responsibility. Because:

·         The President is elected;

·         The Cabinet executes the President’s political platform;

·         These officers are publicly accountable through congressional testimony and Senate confirmation;

Cabinet Secretaries will remain politically appointed and Senate-confirmed (PAS).

All other positions below that level—Deputy Secretaries, Under Secretaries, Assistant Secretaries, Regional Directors, Chiefs of Staff, and Agency Administrators—should not require political allegiance and must be reoriented toward professional competency.

III. CURRENT APPOINTMENT SYSTEM: DEEP POLITICAL EMBEDMENT

As structured in the 2024 Plum Book:

·         ~1,200 PAS positions require Senate confirmation;

·         ~500 PA positions do not;

·         ~750 Non-career SES appointments serve at presidential discretion;

·         ~1,500 Schedule C roles are politically appointed, often without confirmation or vetting.

This structure empowers presidents to install more than 4,000 individuals into decision-making roles—most without any career service background or obligation to merit, ethics, or institutional continuity.

IV. CRITERIA FOR CONVERSION TO CAREER TRACK

A. Must Not Be in the Cabinet

Only Secretaries and a handful of President’s senior aides are exempt from this reform proposal.

B. Position Must Be Operational, Not Electoral

If a position oversees programs, budgets, personnel, or enforcement (e.g., Deputy Secretary of Labor or Commissioner of Education), it must be converted.

C. Position Must Be Career-Fillable

If the duties can be executed under civil service law and within merit system principles, the role should be competitively filled.

V. CURRENT LIMITS AND PATHWAYS TO EXPANSION

Personnel Category	Current Role Ceiling	Conversion Strategy	Action Required
GS Career Staff	GS-15; Division Chief, Program Manager	Create SES feeder roles	OPM/Agency realignment and SES billet expansion
Career SES	Bureau Director, COO, Regional Administrator	Promote to agency head, assistant/deputy secretary	Statutory changes to remove PAS/PA status for non-Cabinet roles
Schedule C	Confidential Assistants, Press Deputies	Abolish and replace with career GS posts	Executive order and OPM compliance cap
Non-career SES	Political policy coordinators	Eliminate entirely	Amend SES cap regulations and freeze new NA appointments

VI. WHAT IS REQUIRED TO REMOVE POLITICAL STATUS?

1. Statutory Amendment

Most PAS roles are PAS because enabling legislation requires it. To reassign these as SES career roles:

·         Congress must amend authorizing statutes (e.g., 10 U.S.C., 42 U.S.C.) to remove the words “appointed by the President, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate.”

·         Replace with “appointed in accordance with merit principles under Title 5.”

2. Regulatory Realignment

Once the law permits, OPM must:

·         Reclassify the position under SES or GS frameworks;

·         Ensure duties do not violate restrictions against inherently political or confidential service;

·         Authorize SES “career reserved” or “general” designation as appropriate.

3. Competitive Recruitment Infrastructure

Reforms must:

·         Open recruitment nationwide through USAJobs.gov;

·         Use Executive Resources Boards (ERBs) for structured candidate evaluation;

·         Require top applicants to be vetted for ethical compliance, institutional knowledge, and technical leadership.

VII. KEY POSITIONS TARGETED FOR CONVERSION

Examples of PAS roles that should be career SES or GS instead:

Agency	Current PAS Role	Proposed Role
Department of Education	Assistant Secretary for Elementary and Secondary Education	SES Career: Director of National K–12 Programs
Department of Agriculture	Deputy Under Secretary for Food, Nutrition, and Consumer Services	SES Career: Director of Nutrition Programs
Department of Interior	Commissioner of Reclamation	SES Career: Director of Western Water Infrastructure
Department of Commerce	Assistant Secretary for Economic Development	SES Career: Director of Economic Recovery Initiatives
Department of Labor	Deputy Secretary of Labor	SES Career: Federal Labor Operations Executive

VIII. CONGRESSIONAL ENGAGEMENT STRATEGY

·         The Career Leadership Reform Act will be introduced to:

o    Remove PAS status from 80% of subcabinet roles;

o    Cap Schedule C and non-career SES roles to 2% of agency staffing;

o    Authorize agency heads to designate all successor positions from within the SES or GS system.

·         Legislative sponsors will be recruited from both parties under the banner of:

o    Anti-cronyism

o    National capacity-building

o    Restoration of civil trust in federal leadership

IX. CLOSING REMARKS

“Political leadership should set vision—but only professionals should execute it.”

Governments rise or fall on competence. The idea that a country as large, complex, and vulnerable as the United States should entrust its execution to temporary political operatives is dangerous. Competency must outlast elections—and governance must be bigger than politics.

 

“This campaign is not about weakening the presidency—it’s about strengthening the country. We will keep the Cabinet political, but everything else will be earned, tested, and accountable. The era of political favoritism in federal appointments is ending—and a government of professionals is ready to take its place.”

“Leadership in government should not be bought, bartered, or bestowed through party loyalty. It should be earned—through public service, institutional knowledge, and a career of competence. This campaign will replace every political placeholder with an American public servant chosen not for who they know, but for what they’ve done.”

“The American government must be led by Americans who earn their place—not by insiders who inherit it. We will end cronyism, ban patronage, and replace every political gatekeeper with a public servant who understands that their job is to serve—not to maneuver.”