Final answer:
It is true that an employee serving on a term appointment can be selected for a permanent position through merit promotion procedures. This process is consistent with the federal merit system, which focuses on qualifications and KSAs over political considerations.
Step-by-step explanation:
True, an employee serving on a term appointment may be selected for a permanent position through merit promotion procedures. This aligns with the merit system, which has been increasingly used since the 1880s to fill civil service positions based on established knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs) rather than political affiliations or patronage. The merit system ensures that hiring is based on demonstrable abilities and performance potential, thereby protecting employees from managerial abuse and improving bureaucratic efficiency.
In the federal government, there are three categories of work: competitive service, excepted service, and senior executive service. The competitive service positions are filled through a process overseen by the Office of Personnel Management, which ensures fair hiring and promotion based on qualifications such as work history, education, and sometimes civil service exams.
However, some positions are filled through appointment and patronage, but these are less common. Merit-based hiring aims to create an environment where the most likely to succeed are appointed, resulting in a workforce of experts dedicated to their roles within their agencies.
It's also relevant to note that while permanent employees may become less responsive to political changes, the independence from elected leaders is intentional within a merit-based system. Nonetheless, there are systems in place to allow for the appointment of individuals based on merit, through a rigorous evaluation of their qualifications and abilities, even when moving from a term to a permanent position within the federal bureaucracy.
The correct answer to the question is True.