The Pendleton Act created this important organization, which was charged with reducing the impact of politics on public administration and setting forth qualifications for its employees.

• A. Office of Management and Budget
• B. Civil Service Commission
• C. General Services Administration
• D. Federal Election Commission

Answer: (B)

The important idea is how the Pendleton Act reshaped federal hiring by creating a merit-based civil service and an agency to oversee it. The act responded to widespread patronage in government jobs and the belief that hiring should be based on ability, not political connections. It established a merit system with competitive exams and qualifications, and created the Civil Service Commission to administer and enforce these standards. That combination is why this option fits best: the Civil Service Commission was the body formed to reduce politics in public administration and set qualifications for federal employees. The other agencies serve different functions—budget and management, procurement and property, or election oversight—and they were not established by the Pendleton Act to run the merit-based hiring system.