What is the State and Local Picture of Civil Service Merit System Today? Name Affiliation Instructor Course Date The civil merit system is employed to hire and promote government employees in the United States based on their performances. By the early 1800s, merit reforms were adopted to manage and select public workers at both states, national and local levels. However, the reform advocates agreed that employees would be selected based on their competence than patronage to political parties (Nelson, 2004). The merit system was designed to ensure open and fair recruitment, employment, and competition, free from any non-merit factors or political influences. The federal civil service continues to remain in the same