Civil servants—a hallmark of American democracy—are responsible for issues vital to the health of our nation, from ensuring national security to administering health insurance programs to conserving public land. There are reasonable approaches for improving government’s ability to meet our country’s needs, manage its workforce and deliver services, but mounting calls to decimate the civil service and return to a time when jobs were won through party loyalty will not only make our government less effective but less fair, transparent and accountable. A more political government is not a more effective government.   

This year, the Partnership’s second annual Trust Summit will explore the importance of a nonpartisan, merit-based civil service to ensuring an effective and trustworthy democracy. We’ll cover the latest data on the current state of public trust in government, the role of the civil service in our democracy, and new approaches and opportunities to create a more effective federal government.