Final answer:
The placement of federal bureaucrats has transitioned from a system of patronage to a merit-based civil service, expanding during the 1930s and 1960s. Key reforms in 1978 further refined the system to emphasize merit and accountability. Today's federal employees are specialized and distributed nationwide and globally.
Step-by-step explanation:
Evolution of Federal Bureaucracy Throughout history, the placement of federal bureaucrats has significantly evolved. Initially criticized as overly political and corrupt during the post-Jacksonian era, the federal bureaucracy transitioned to a merit-based civil service system starting with the Pendleton Act in the 1880s. Progressing through to Franklin D. Roosevelt's administration, there was another growth in response to the Great Depression. The 1960s under Lyndon B. Johnson marked a second wave of expansion with increased political debate regarding the economic costs versus benefits.
By the late 1970s, skepticism regarding the bureaucracy peaked leading to the Civil Service Reform Act of 1978. This act abolished the Civil Service Commission, creating the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) and the Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB) to enhance recruitment based on merit and investigate wrongdoings. Today, while the executive branch has expanded with numerous departments and agencies, most federal employees are distributed across the country and internationally, rather than being concentrated in Washington, D.C.
In modern times, federal bureaucrats are more specialized than ever, focusing on specific areas and thus becoming experts in their fields. This increased specialization, however, has led to concerns about bureaucracies being less responsive to elected officials, which may be a tradeoff for achieving higher efficiency.