The U.S. federal civil service has been rocked to its core since January 20, 2025. Random, unplanned, unannounced firings are leaving every agency in doubt. I argue that those who care about good government, and public sector human resource scholars in particular, should advocate for merit principles and explain how they ensure government performance. Bolstered by lessons from the past, this is an easy case to make.

中文翻译：

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当破坏是目标时

自 2025 年 1 月 20 日以来，美国联邦公务员制度的核心受到了严重打击。随机、计划外、突然的解雇让每个机构都感到怀疑。我认为，那些关心好政府的人，特别是公共部门人力资源学者，应该倡导功绩原则，并解释它们如何确保政府绩效。以过去的经验教训为支撑，这是一个很容易提出的理由。