| Year | Pres. | House | Senate | Democrats | Republicans | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1900 | R | R | R | We commend the policy of the Republican party in maintaining the efficiency of the civil service. |
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| 1904 | R | R | R | We favor the enforcement of honesty in the public service, and to that end a thorough legislative investigation of those executive departments of the Government already known to teem with corruption, as well as other departments suspected of harboring corruption, and the punishment of ascertained corruptionists without fear or favor or regard to persons. | The Civil Service Law was placed on the statute books by the Republican party, which has always sustained it, and we renew our former declarations that it shall be thoroughly and honestly enforced. | |
| 1908 | R | R | R | The laws pertaining to the civil service should be honestly and rigidly enforced, to the end that merit and ability shall be the standard of appointment and promotion rather than services rendered to a political party. | We reaffirm our former declarations that the civil service laws, enacted, extended, and enforced by the Republican party, shall continue to be maintained and obeyed. | |
| 1912 | R | D | R | The law pertaining to the civil service should be honestly and rigidly enforced, to the end that merit and ability shall be the standard of appointment and promotion, rather than service rendered to a political party | We reaffirm our adherence to the principle of appointment to public office based on proved fitness, and tenure during good behavior and efficiency. | |
| 1916 | D | D | D | We reaffirm our declarations for the rigid enforcement of the civil service laws. | The Civil Service Law has always been sustained by the Republican party, and we renew our repeated declarations that it shall be thoroughly and honestly enforced and extended wherever practicable. | |
| 1920 | D | R | R | We renew our repeated declaration that the civil service law shall be thoroughly and honestly enforced and extended wherever practicable. | ||
| 1924 | R | R | R | We pledge the democratic party faithfully to comply with the spirit as well as the regulation of civil service; to extend its provisions to internal revenue officers and to other employees of the government not in executive positions, and to secure to former service men preference in such appointments. | Improvement in the enforcement of the merit system both by legislative enactment and executive action since March 4, 1921, has been marked and effective. | |
| 1928 | R | R | R | Grover Cleveland made the extension of the merit system a tenet of our political faith. We shall preserve and maintain the civil service. | Steps have already been taken by the Republican Congress to make the service more attractive as to wages and retirement privileges, and we commend what has been done, as a step in the right direction. | |
| 1932 | R | R | R | The merit system has been amply justified since the organization of the Civil Service by the Republican Party. | ||
| 1936 | D | D | D | For the protection of government itself and promotion of its efficiency, we pledge the immediate extension of the merit system through the classified civil service—which was first established and fostered under Democratic auspices—to all non-policy-making positions in the Federal service. | We pledge ourselves to the merit system, virtually destroyed by New Deal spoilsmen. It should be restored, improved and extended. | |
| 1940 | D | D | D | We pledge the immediate extension of a genuine system of merit to all positions in the executive branch of the Federal Government except actual bona fide policy-making positions. | We shall reestablish in the Federal Civil Service a real merit system on a truly competitive basis and extend it to all non-policy-forming positions. | |
| 1944 | D | D | D | |||
| 1948 | D | R | R | |||
| 1952 | D | D | D | Good government requires a Civil Service high in quality and prestige. We deplore and condemn smear attacks upon the character and reputations of our Federal workers. We will continue our fight against partisan political efforts to discredit the Federal service and undermine American principles of justice and fair play. | We favor a personnel program for the Federal career service comparable to the best practices of progressive private employers. Federal employees shall be selected under a strengthened and extended merit system. Civil servants of ability and integrity shall receive proper recognition, with merit the sole test for promotion. | |
| 1956 | R | D | D | Intelligent and sympathetic programs must be immediately undertaken to insure the re-establishment of the high morale and efficiency which were characteristic of the Federal worker during 20 years of Democratic Administrations. | The Republican Party will continue to fight for eagerly desired new advances for Government employees, and realistic reappraisement and adjustment of benefits for our retired civil service personnel. | |
| 1960 | R | D | D | The heavy responsibilities of modern government require a Federal service characterized by devotion to duty, honesty of purpose and highest competence. We pledge the modernization and strengthening of our Civil Service system. | ||
| 1964 | D | D | D | |||
| 1968 | D | D | D | The Democratic administration has moved vigorously in the past eight years—particularly with regard to pay scales—to improve the conditions of public service. | ||
| 1972 | R | D | D | |||
| 1976 | R | D | D | This nation’s Civil Service numbers countless strong and effective public servants. It was the resistance of earnest and steadfast federal workers that stemmed the Nixon-Ford efforts to undermine the integrity of the Civil Service. The reorganization of government which we envision will protect the job rights of civil servants and permit them to more effectively serve the public. | Employees of the federal government should not engage in partisan politics. The Civil Service System must remain non-partisan and non-political. The Hatch Act now protects federal employees; we insist that it be uniformly administered. | |
| 1980 | D | D | D | |||
| 1984 | R | D | R | |||
| 1988 | R | D | D | |||
| 1992 | R | D | D | |||
| 1996 | D | R | R | |||
| 2000 | R | R | R | |||
| 2004 | R | R | R | |||
| 2008 | R | D | D | |||
| 2012 | D | R | D | We call for a reduction, through attrition, in the federal payroll of at least 10 percent and the adjustment of pay scales and benefits to reflect those of the private sector. We must bring the 130-year old Civil Service System into the twenty-first century. | ||
| 2016 | D | R | R | We urge Congress to bring federal compensation and benefits in line with the standards of most American employees. A Republican administration should streamline personnel procedures to expedite the firing of bad workers, tax cheats, and scammers. . . We recognize the dedication of most employees of the federal government and thank them for their service, with special praise for the whistleblowers who risk their careers to expose waste, fraud, and misuse of power. | ||
| 2020 | R | D | R | |||
| 2024 | D | R | D | |||