Final answer:
A product of civil service reform ensuring appointees to public bureaucracies are deemed qualified is called the merit system. It bases employment on applicants' knowledge and skills instead of political connections.
Step-by-step explanation:
Merit-Based Civil Service Explained When appointees to positions in public bureaucracies must objectively be deemed qualified for those positions, this is the result of a civil service reform known as the merit system. This system ensures that employment and promotion within public bureaucracies are based on the applicants’ knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs), rather than on political patronage or party loyalty, as was characteristic of the spoils system. The shift toward a merit-based civil service began with the Pendleton Act of 1883, which established the Civil Service Commission, leading to a more efficient and competent public administration. However, it also brought certain drawbacks such as a potential lack of responsiveness to political change due to the newly independent nature of bureaucracies. The merit system is a product of civil service reform in which appointees to positions in public bureaucracies must objectively be deemed qualified for those positions. This system is designed to ensure that individuals are selected and promoted based on their merit, qualifications, and competence rather than political connections (patronage system) or political favoritism (spoils system). The merit system aims to create a more professional and efficient public service by emphasizing the skills, knowledge, and abilities of individuals in public service positions.