Final answer:
Presidents may reassign civil servants, engage in private negotiations, or make recess appointments instead of firing them, due to protections from civil service reform and the complexity of managing presidential appointments.
Step-by-step explanation:
Instead of firing a civil servant, presidents have a few options. They may choose to reassign the individual or make use of private deal-making and negotiation tactics.
In some cases, they might appoint an acting official or make a recess appointment when Congress is not in session, to temporarily fill positions.
Civil servants have certain protections due to civil service reform which emerged in the late 19th century, making dismissal based on non-performance grounds more difficult.
Hence, presidents often have to rely on strategic positioning rather than outright firings when dealing with federal employees.
The intricate process of making presidential appointments, including senior executive service positions which demand demonstration of executive core qualifications (ECQs), has also influenced how civil servants are managed in the federal government.