jan 1, 1883 - 1883 - The Pendleton Civil Service Act stripped from the executive the power to delegate many low-level government offices by requiring merit-based examinations for those offices. A favorite of the Half-Breeds, the act was actually passed under the encouragement of a Stalwart president, Chester Arthur. The informal power of the president to command attention through party patronage that had existed since at least the Jacksonian era was significantly curtailed through this act.
Added to timeline:
Date:
jan 1, 1883
Now
~ 142 years ago