Which reform measure established the principle of federal employment on the basis of open, competitive exams and created the Civil Service Commission?

• A. Mann Act
• B. Pendleton Act
• C. Clayton Act
• D. Homestead Act

Answer: (B)

This question tests knowledge of civil service reform and merit-based hiring in the federal government. The reform measure that established federal employment on the basis of open, competitive examinations and created a centralized Civil Service Commission was the Pendleton Act. Passed in 1883, it shifted hiring away from the patronage system toward merit, requiring competitive exams for many federal jobs and creating the Civil Service Commission to oversee and enforce these rules. This move professionalized the bureaucracy and helped protect new hires from being dismissed or rewarded based on political connections rather than ability.

Other options don’t fit this idea: the Mann Act deals with trafficking and gender morality issues, the Clayton Act addresses antitrust and labor concerns, and the Homestead Act opened western lands to settlers.