Protect Democracy is protecting a non-partisan, merit-based civil service through litigation, communications, policy, and other advocacy.

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Why a nonpartisan civil service matters for democracy

Why a nonpartisan civil service matters for democracy

A neutral, nonpartisan, merit-based civil service is integral to a healthy democracy. Civil servants take an oath to provide the programs and services people need – no matter what political party is in power. They are scientists trying to prevent black lung disease in coal miners; meteorologists predicting the next flood; and economists rooting out financial waste. Attempts to politicize and cut federal employees impede the government’s ability to provide critical services the American public relies on everyday. 

Executive branch purges and attacks on the civil service are also ripped straight from the Authoritarian Playbook. They are a common tactic of authoritarians across the globe to ensure that the civil service is loyal to the autocrat—rather than the people or laws of the country. That’s because a neutral, merit-based, nonpartisan civil service upholds democratic values, including the rule of law, and often acts as a check on abuses of executive authority.

As authoritarian-minded leaders seek more power, they try to insulate themselves from accountability by dismantling potential constraints on government corruption and abuse. This dismantling is a form of theft from the public, which loses access to taxpayer-funded goods and services. And it is already affecting Americans’ daily lives.

Dear Civil Servant

Dear Civil Servant 

Protect Democracy’s newsletter offers the latest insights and updates on attacks against the civil service. Subscribe to Dear Civil Servant here. 

Recent posts

Litigation challenging attacks on the civil service

Litigation challenging attacks on the civil service 

Protect Democracy, and our amazing partners, are actively litigating cases aimed at preventing the dismantling and politicization of the civil service.

Government Accountability Project. v. United States Office of Personnel Management 

Protect Democracy’s litigation challenging the administration’s implementation of Schedule Policy/Career (formerly known as “Schedule F”). 

AFGE et al. v. Trump et al. 

Lawsuit seeking to permanently stop Trump’s Executive Order 14210 (“Implementing the President’s ‘Department of Government Efficiency’ Workforce Optimization Initiative”), which ordered the reorganization of federal agencies and mass firing of civil servants without congressional authority.

Proposed rulemaking affecting the civil service

Proposed rulemaking affecting the civil service 

Protect Democracy publicly comments on proposed federal regulations that negatively impact the civil service. 

Below are resources to help the public, including current and former feds, comment on proposed rules by the government. 

The information on this page should not be construed as legal advice on any specific facts or circumstances. The contents are intended for general information and educational purposes only, and should not be relied on as if it were advice about a particular fact situation. The distribution of this document is not intended to create, and receipt of it does not constitute, an attorney-client relationship. This publication also contains hypertext links to information created and maintained by other entities. There is no guarantee of the accuracy or completeness of this outside information, nor is the inclusion of a link to be intended as an endorsement of those outside sites.