Final answer:
The Civil Service Commission was the group that classified jobs in the federal government in the 1880s as a result of the Pendleton Act of 1883, establishing a merit system for federal employment.
Step-by-step explanation:
The group that classified jobs in the federal government around the 1880s was established as a result of the Pendleton Civil Service Reform Act of 1883. This landmark legislation created the Civil Service Commission, whose primary role was to enforce a merit system for federal employment, in contrast to the previously prevailing spoils system of political patronage. The commission administered competitive examinations and aimed to ensure that appointments to federal jobs were made based on ability and merit, not political connections. Over time, through civil service reform, the bureaucracy in the United States distanced itself from political influence, which significantly altered the mechanism of federal employment and laid the groundwork for modern bureaucratic practices, including the General Schedule for federal employee pay.