“Among the major features of the act are provisions for the selection of civil service personnel by open competitive examinations; guarantees to civil service employees against coercion in any form for political reasons, or solicitation in government buildings or by other federal employees for political purposes; and allocation to the states and territories, in proportion to population, of appointments from lists of eligible applicants to fill positions in the departmental service in Washington.”
The aspects of the government guaranteeing the rights of citizens in the conduct and selection of candidates in these posts and allowing all candidates to have a fair chance of competing are some of the same democratic values that this system provides. Besides the need for demonstrating skills and merits to warrant selection in coveted civil service jobs, the examinations themselves were conducted in a free and fair manner, and appointments filled according to merit, without regard to caste, creed, gender, colour, age, sexual preferences or any political influences.
Thus, the skill system gradually, but certainly, superseded the prevailing spoils system, which relied more on political mileage and expediency rather than the true competencies and appropriateness of candidates for the job. Under a democratic system, every citizen has a fair chance to prove themself on a job, and this is what the civil services commission envisaged and embodied through its established civil service selection systems that placed a premium on skills and performance and discounted unilateral and politically motivated choices in the appointment of personnel in Federal government jobs.