What’s the Civil Service?

Mack and Steve discuss the government worker bees who don’t serve at the pleasure of the
president, and how the new administration wants to change that under the auspices of 2025.
Also, there may be a UFO flap. Stay tuned!

REFERENCES

What’s the civil service?

Page, Edward C. & Bridges, Edward. “Civil Service.” Updated December 15, 2024. Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/topic/civil-service

Let’s talk about the Pendleton Act:

National Archives. “Pendleton Act (1883).” Reviewed February 8, 2022. https://www.archives.gov/milestone-documents/pendleton-act

The problem with the spoils system:

Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. “Spoils system.” March 28, 2024. Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/topic/spoils-system

The civil service in China:

Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. “Chinese civil service.”  May 12, 2020. Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/topic/Chinese-civil-service

How long did Imperial China last:

National Geographic. “Imperial China’s Dynasties.” https://education.nationalgeographic.org/resource/imperial-chinas-dynasties/

The Pendleton Act was named for Ohioan George Hunt Pendleton:

Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. “Pendleton, George Hunt.” https://bioguide.congress.gov/search/bio/p000203

It is indeed President Chester ALAN Arthur:

Historical Society of the New York Courts. “Chester Alan Arthur.” https://history.nycourts.gov/figure/chester-alan-arthur/

How many political appointees are there:

Center for Presidential Transition. “Presidential appointments are hard to track – and growing.” September 26, 2024. https://presidentialtransition.org/presidential-appointments-are-hard-to-track-and-growing/

Garfield, the president:

The White House. “James Garfield.” https://www.whitehouse.gov/about-the-white-house/presidents/james-garfield/

Garfield, the cat who likes lasagna:

Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. “Garfield.” Updated November 5, 2024. Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/topic/Garfield

Who is Charles Guiteau and why did he kill a president:

Bellamy, Jay. “A Stalwart of Stalwarts.” 2016. National Archives. https://www.archives.gov/publications/prologue/2016/fall/guiteau

Ladies, gentlemen, and those not bound by the binary, Mr. Johnny Cash:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tuucpkMEFVM

A brief overview of Project 2025:

Wendling, Mike. “Project 2025: The right-wing wish list for another Trump presidency.” September 11, 2024. BBC. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c977njnvq2do

If you want to get Project 2025 from the source:

https://www.project2025.org/

The whole Schedule F thing:

Bednar, Nick. “A Primer on the Civil Service and the Trump Administration.” December 2, 2024. Lawfare. https://www.lawfaremedia.org/article/a-primer-on-the-civil-service-and-the-trump-administration

The removal power:

Constitution Annotated. “ArtII.S3.3.4 Removal Power as the President's Primary Means of Supervision.” https://constitution.congress.gov/browse/essay/artII-S3-3-4/ALDE_00000098/

Why Andrew Johnson was impeached, kind of, on a pretext:

PBS. “The Impeachment of Andrew Johnson.” https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/features/grant-impeachment/

Though regular employment law mostly applies to everybody, federal and state employees do have specific regulations regarding their jobs:

U.S. Department of Labor. “Summary of the Major Laws of the Department of Labor.” https://www.dol.gov/general/aboutdol/majorlaws

If you want to get to know some of those specific regulations:

Library of Congress. “Federal Civil Service Employment Law: A Beginner’s Guide.” https://guides.loc.gov/federal-civil-service-employment-law

Not technically civil service, the staff of congress:

Council on Foundations. “Roles of Congressional Staff Members.” https://cof.org/content/roles-congressional-staff-members

How do the budget allotments work for members of congress:

United States House of Representatives. “What is the Statement of Disbursements (SODs)?” https://www.house.gov/the-house-explained/open-government/statement-of-disbursements/frequently-asked-questions

Rep. Ocasio-Cortez’s approach to paying her staff:

Akin, Stephanie. “Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s call for a ‘living wage’ starts in her office.” February 22, 2019. Roll Call. https://rollcall.com/2019/02/22/alexandria-ocasio-cortezs-call-for-a-living-wage-starts-in-her-office/

Trump isn’t pretending anymore:

Slattery, Gram. “Project 2025: what is it and how is it connected to Trump?” December 19, 2024. Reuters. https://www.reuters.com/world/us/what-is-project-2025-how-is-it-connected-trump-2024-12-19/

Not familiar with the Heritage Foundation:

The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. “Heritage Foundation.” Updated: December 5, 2024. https://www.britannica.com/topic/Heritage-Foundation

Or you could go to the source:

https://secured.heritage.org/

An opinion piece that discusses the idea of smaller government:

Janoff-Bulman, Ronnie. “The Myth of Limited Government.” Yale University Press. https://yalebooks.yale.edu/2023/04/28/the-myth-of-limited-government%EF%BF%BC/

National Weather Service:

https://www.weather.gov/

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA):

https://www.noaa.gov/

Who does earthquakes:

https://www.usgs.gov/

For the show notes, we could find no reports that state that AccuWeather was more accurate than other weather forecasters except for ones that were published by AccuWeather themselves based on their own data. If you find one that is independent, please let us know.

Want to learn more about who owns AccuWeather and their claims about its accuracy?

Adams, Susan. “The Real Cloud Wars: The $6 Billion Battle Over The Future of Weather Forecasting.” June 24, 2019. https://www.forbes.com/sites/susanadams/2019/06/24/the-real-cloud-wars-the-6-billion-battle-over-the-future-of-weather-forecasting/

Just in case you were wondering, AccuWeather does acknowledge climate change:

AccuWeather. “Climate Change.” https://corporate.accuweather.com/resources/climate-change/

Is the National Weather Service not allowed to have an app:

Shepherd, Marshall. “Why Doesn’t the National Weather Service Have a Weather App?” August 13, 2019. Forbes. https://www.forbes.com/sites/marshallshepherd/2019/08/12/why-doesnt-the-national-weather-service-have-a-weather-app/

But the National Weather Service sure is trying hard:

https://www.weather.gov/lox/mobileSplash

NASA app:

https://www.nasa.gov/nasa-app/

National Park Service app:

https://www.nps.gov/subjects/digital/nps-apps.htm

Currently, you do not have to pay to file your taxes:

IRS. “Choose a trusted partner to file your taxes.” https://apps.irs.gov/app/freeFile/

The idea of the deep state:

Merriam-Webster. “Deep state.” https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/deep%20state

How pissed Trump was at Jeff Sessions:

BBC. “Trump fires Attorney General Jeff Sessions.” November 8, 2018. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-46132348

Trump fired a few people by tweet:

Cillizza, Chris. “Donald Trump actually doesn’t like firing people in person.” Updated September 28, 2022. CNN. https://www.cnn.com/2022/09/28/politics/donald-trump-firing-twitter/index.html

It’s inspectorS general, not inspector generalS:

https://www.ignet.gov/

In case you didn’t get the Battlestar reference:

https://youtu.be/wQVgGOgYthg?si=P-CoBQOt2VzsYrEg

Technically, the first inspector general was Thomas Conway, but he was quickly replaced by the “Father of the Inspector General system” Baron Frederick William Augustus von Steuben:

Defense Intelligence Agency Office of the Inspector General. “History of the Defense Intelligence Agency’s Office of the Inspector General.” https://oig.dia.mil/About-Us/A-Brief-History/

 Get to know the Baron:

American Battlefield Trust. “Baron von Steuben.” https://www.battlefields.org/learn/biographies/baron-von-steuben

And Mack was correct, Baron von Steuben became Inspector General in 1778 and the German Empire was founded in 1871:

 Strauss, Gerald & Barkin, Kenneth. “Germany from 1871 to 1918.” Updated December 31, 2024. Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/place/Germany/Germany-from-1871-to-1918

Just in case your family isn’t from Prussia:

Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. “Prussia.” October 28, 2024. Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/place/Prussia

Don’t know the joy of a Junior League Cookbook:

Campbell, Larrison. “My Mother’s Old Junior League Cookbooks Seemed Like a Retro Joke – Instead They Were Extemely Satisfying.” May 20, 2020. Vanity Fair. https://www.vanityfair.com/style/2020/05/retro-junior-league-cookbooks-reflect-motherhood?srsltid=AfmBOooQPOJX_3lCuCCmvHdLIo9847KS8XF3ieoMwNKEF7hNM6lCc_qh

Not Steve’s, but one version of a Hot Toddy:

https://www.liquor.com/recipes/hot-toddy/

Not Steve’s, but one version of a Wassail:

https://cookieandkate.com/wassail-cocktail/

Not Steve’s, but one version of Hot Buttered Rum:

https://wholefully.com/hot-buttered-rum-recipe/

The podcast that Steve is listening to:

“Next Comes What” by Andrea Pitzer

1,400 acres that Texas has just offered up:

Garcia, Berenice. “Texas offers Trump administrations more land and support for mass deportations." November 26, 2024. The Texas Tribune. https://www.texastribune.org/2024/11/26/texas-donald-trump-deportation-land-offer/

The podcast that Anne heard about:

“The Project 2025 Emergency Book Club Comedy Podcast Project” by Josh di Donato

Should the U.S. Post Office be privatized:

Katz, Eric. “USPS privatization again under consideration, Trump says.” December 16, 2024. Government Executive. https://www.govexec.com/management/2024/12/usps-privatization-again-under-consideration-trump-says/401705/

If you’re a jet geek too:

National Museum of the United States Air Force. “Lockheed F-94C Starfire.” https://www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/Visit/Museum-Exhibits/Fact-Sheets/Display/Article/198078/lockheed-f-94c-starfire/

The 1952 UFO Flap:

Sullivan, Missy. “In 1952, ‘Flying Saucers’ Over Washington Sent the Press Into a Frenzy.” Updated November 3, 2023. History.com. https://www.history.com/news/ufos-washington-dc-news-reports

If you somehow missed hearing about the alleged drones over New Jersey:

Collins, Dave. “Mystery drone sightings continue in New Jersey and across the US. Here’s what we know.” December 20, 2024. AP News. https://apnews.com/article/drones-new-jersey-what-to-know-e6f565f5d51d9d47ad140e7e7d131842

Yep, drones in Virginia too:

Barnes, Sophia. “’Deeply concerned’: Mystery drones seen in Virginia, governor says as lawmakers seek answers.” December 16, 2024. https://www.nbcwashington.com/news/local/deeply-concerned-mystery-drones-seen-in-virginia-governor-says-as-lawmakers-seek-answers/3792866/

We’re pretty sure they’re not from an Iranian mothership:

Debusmann, Jr., Bernd. “Mystery New Jersey drones not from Iranian ‘mothership’ – Pentagon.” December 12, 2024. BBC. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/crrwz91wqd9o

It was the former Maryland Governor Larry Hogan who was taken aback by the constellation Orion:

Nguyen, Danny. “Those drones spotted from Maryland to New Jersey? No big deal, say feds.” December 15, 2024. The Baltimore Banner. https://www.thebaltimorebanner.com/community/local-news/drones-sightings-maryland-new-jersey-orbs-NK22G2FS5JCDVIIB2C3ZNJAIBI/

If you don’t know why Mack sounds like Jessie Ventura because you haven’t seen the X-Files episode “Jose Chung’s From Outer Space,” please watch it:

https://youtu.be/e1K5Y1ZOZw8?si=qDF9xt1ONmCGO7jD

Also, RIP Jimmy Carter and Alex Trebek.

And if, like Steve, you’re very defensive about Venus:

Byrd, Deborah. “Why is Venus so bright in our Earth’s sky?” September 17, 2023. EarthSky. https://earthsky.org/astronomy-essentials/why-is-venus-so-bright/

It’s not an actual book:

Kratz, Jessie. “Saucers Over Washington: the History of Project Blue Book.” National Archives. https://prologue.blogs.archives.gov/2019/12/19/saucers-over-washington-the-history-of-project-blue-book/

Á la coelacanth:

Smithsonian. “Coelacanth.” https://ocean.si.edu/ocean-life/fish/coelacanth

The Navy gun camera footage from a few years ago:

CNBC Television. “Watch the Pentagon’s three declassified UFO videos taken by U.S. Navy pilots.” April 28, 2020. https://youtu.be/rO_M0hLlJ-Q?si=Mvfm4PCTwb1bsEZg

Steve and Mack weren’t kidding about that distillery in Indiana:

Goldfarb, Aaron. “How Can Different Craft Whiskeys Come From One Big Distillery?” January 2, 2018. Whiskey Advocate. https://whiskyadvocate.com/different-craft-whiskey-mgp-distillery

A little about whiskey being made in Texas:

Gray, Kevin. “The Untold Story of Texas Whiskey’s Dramatic Past.” June 20, 2023. Inside Hook. https://www.insidehook.com/drinks/untold-story-texas-whiskeys-dramatic-past

The people in charge of DOGE:

Honderich, Holly. “What we know about Musk’s cost-cutting mission.” December 5, 2024. BBC. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c23vkd57471o

The week where Elon Musk commanded the GOPs in Congress to tank the deal they had already negotiated for themselves…:

Matza, Max & Zurcher, Anthony. “US avoids government shutdown after days of political turmoil.” December 21, 2024. BBC. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cqjzwq7pg0go

In case you don’t know who Sid Miller is:

https://texasagriculture.gov/About/Commissioner-Miller

Anne was incorrect when she characterized Matt Gaetz as a child molester. He’s a child rapist:

Lamber, Lisa. “Four revelations from the House ethics report on Matt Gaetz.” December 24, 2024. BBC. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c0mvpmnm9gno

A clown car coalition:

Ingram, David. “Elon Musk accused of censoring conservatives on X who disagree with him about immigration.” December 27, 2024. NBC News. https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/social-media/elon-musk-accused-censoring-laura-loomer-maga-republicans-x-rcna185569

The reason why Texas school vouchers were killed:

Despart, Zach & Lopez, Brian. “Texas House votes to remove school vouchers from massive education bill.” November 16, 2023. The Texas Tribune. https://www.texastribune.org/2023/11/16/texas-house-school-vouchers/

And the guys were singing “Mah Na Mah Na” from the Muppets. But you already knew that.