42 U.S.C. § 4701 : US Code - Section 4701: Congressional findings and declaration of policy

Search 42 U.S.C. § 4701 : US Code - Section 4701: Congressional findings and declaration of policy

The Congress hereby finds and declares -
That effective State and local governmental institutions are
essential in the maintenance and development of the Federal system
in an increasingly complex and interdependent society.
That, since numerous governmental activities administered by the
State and local governments are related to national purpose and are
financed in part by Federal funds, a national interest exists in a
high caliber of public service in State and local governments.
That the quality of public service at all levels of government
can be improved by the development of systems of personnel
administration consistent with such merit principles as -
(1) recruiting, selecting, and advancing employees on the basis
of their relative ability, knowledge, and skills, including open
consideration of qualified applicants for initial appointment;
(2) providing equitable and adequate compensation;
(3) training employees, as needed, to assure high-quality
performance;
(4) retaining employees on the basis of the adequacy of their
performance, correcting inadequate performance, and separating
employees whose inadequate performance cannot be corrected;
(5) assuring fair treatment of applicants and employees in all
aspects of personnel administration without regard to political
affiliation, race, color, national origin, sex, or religious
creed and with proper regard for their privacy and constitutional
rights as citizens; and
(6) assuring that employees are protected against coercion for
partisan political purposes and are prohibited from using their
official authority for the purpose of interfering with or
affecting the result of an election or a nomination for office.
That Federal financial and technical assistance to State and
local governments for strengthening their personnel administration
in a manner consistent with these principles is in the national
interest.