Pendleton Civil Service Reform Act is signed into law

President Chester Arthur signed the Pendleton Civil Service Reform Act on January 16, 1883, replacing the patronage spoils system with competitive merit examinations for federal employment. The law established the three-member Civil Service Commission to administer exams and barred dismissal of covered employees for political reasons. Initial coverage applied to roughly 10 percent of federal positions, with authority granted to future presidents to expand the protected class by executive order.