Schedule G: Trump’s New Hiring Power Sparks Alarm Over Politicization of Civil Service
Editorial StaffIn July 2025, President Donald Trump signed an executive order creating “Schedule G,” a new federal employment classification that critics say opens the door for sweeping political control over government staffing. The move has prompted warnings from legal scholars and public service advocates who say the order threatens to erode longstanding civil service protections and further politicize federal agencies.
“This new Schedule G classification is another misguided attempt by the administration to further politicize the federal workforce,” said Max Stier, president of the Partnership for Public Service. “A president already has the power to make more than 4,000 political appointments, far more than other democracies, most of which number their political appointees in the 10s.”
What is Schedule G?
Schedule G creates a new category of federal job appointments, allowing the President to install non-career political appointees in policy-making or policy-advocating roles across the federal government. These roles do not have a statutory headcount limit, do not require Senate confirmation, and are explicitly exempt from civil service protections.
Unlike Schedule C—which has been used to bring in temporary political staffers—Schedule G:
- Lacks a numerical cap, allowing agencies to create as many political positions as desired.
- Requires White House approval for each hire.
- Allows removal “at the pleasure” of the President.
Appointees under Schedule G serve only during the president’s term and are automatically terminated when the administration ends.
How is Schedule G Different from Schedule F?
While Schedule F (now called Schedule “Policy/Career”) reclassified existing career civil service roles—removing job protections—Schedule G creates entirely new non-career positions from scratch.
| Key Point | Schedule F (“Policy/Career”) | Schedule G |
|---|---|---|
| Status of job | Reclassifies career positions | Creates new non-career positions |
| Who is affected | Existing government employees | Outside hires for policy-advocacy roles |
| Civil service protections | Career status retained, but most protections lost | Civil Service Rules do not apply to removals |
Why Create Schedule G At All?
Legal experts say the White House already has broad authority under Schedule C to bring in short-term political staff. Donald Moynihan, professor at the University of Michigan’s Ford School of Public Policy, questions the motive behind adding another category:
“The President can already make lots of appointments via the Schedule C route. This may be a way of pushing more appointments to the most senior levels of government, with a higher pay category beyond what Schedule Cs are typically paid.”
The creation of Schedule G, he suggests, could serve as a workaround to slot higher-paid loyalists into influential roles.
Scholars Warn of Eroding Constitutional Balance
Critics see Schedule G as part of a larger trend toward centralizing power in the executive branch.
“This certainly enhances a unitary presidency,” said William Resh, Chair of Public Management and Policy at Georgia State University, “but it risks an executive branch that works only for the president and his parochial interests, rather than coequal constitutional branches and the constituencies they represent.”
This concern echoes similar objections raised when the Trump administration revived Schedule F earlier in 2025—a classification originally introduced in Trump’s first term and rescinded under President Biden.
A Key Part of Project 2025
While Schedule G is not explicitly named in Project 2025—the sweeping policy agenda led by Trump-aligned organizations—the underlying goals align closely. Page 52 of the Project 2025 handbook urges the next administration to:
“…fill its ranks with political appointees” and overcome “obstructionist Human Resources departments.”
This makes Schedule G not only a new HR category but a potentially powerful tool for building a loyalist government workforce.
What Can Congress Do?
Despite the President’s authority to create Schedule G, Congress retains several key checks:
- Appropriations Control
Schedule G can only be implemented if Congress funds it. Section 6(b) of the executive order specifies that its provisions are “subject to the availability of appropriations.” - Oversight Riders
Lawmakers can include restrictions or bans on the use of Schedule G in agency funding bills, effectively limiting or blocking its implementation.
As debate over Schedule G intensifies, the core question remains: Should the president be allowed to expand political hiring deeper into the federal bureaucracy? For many public service advocates and constitutional scholars, the answer is clear. Schedule G, they argue, isn’t just a personnel change—it’s a political strategy that could reshape the very structure of American governance.
