AP Government Bureaucracy Practice Test

Merit-based appointments in government are filled through open competition and standardized criteria, such as exams, that test qualifications for a job. This approach defines the competitive service, where hiring hinges on demonstrated abilities and fitness rather than personal connections or political influence. It promotes fairness and professionalism across agencies by ensuring that the most capable candidates are selected.

A name-request process, in contrast, selects someone based on a specific nomination or request, without broad competition. Discretionary authority refers to an agency’s power to make decisions within its rules and duties, not how its staff are chosen. The iron triangle is a theory about the interactions among Congress, interest groups, and bureaucratic agencies in policy making, not hiring procedures.

So, the concept described—government offices filled on the basis of merit as shown by exams or criteria—is the competitive service.