Late in the Trump administration, the Schedule F executive order sent shockwaves through the public administration community, as the action struck at the heart of the professional civil service. This week, Senator Tim Kaine said that he is "optimistic" he'll get a floor vote on the Preventing a Patronage System Act, a law that would codify bedrock merit-based civil service protections and prevent a future Schedule F-type executive action from future presidential administrations.

Dr. Donald F. Kettl is professor emeritus at the University of Maryland and former dean of its School of Public Policy. He is also one of the experts who signed onto a recent letter to Congressional leaders urging Congress to enact legislation that would prevent Schedule F-like actions. He joined the podcast to talk about the civil service system and the future of anti-Schedule F policy.