The Civil Service Reform Act made it possible for some departments and agencies to offer merit promotions. What is the difference between a merit promotion and patronage in which jobs are given to candidates by influential elected officials? Patronage and merit promotion are both illegal practices under the provisions of the Civil Service Reform Act.

Merit promotion is intended to reward the most capable employees in a department by promoting them within that department.

Patronage bypasses the civil service system while the merit system must follow guidelines and approval from the OPM.

There is little difference between patronage and merit promotion since the results are nearly identical.