PL HeL what was the significance of the Pendleton Civil Service Reform Act establishing a merit-based system of selecting public officials

"The Pendleton Act provided that Federal Government jobs be awarded on the basis of merit and that Government employees be selected through competitive exams. The act also made it unlawful to fire or demote for political reasons employees who were covered by the law."

Explanation:

Risk*

answer: ‘no one should be discriminated against because he or she is not from a minority group’

because—> affirmative action means ‘a policy or program that provides opportunities for traditionally disadvantaged groups to them overcome the effects of discrimination’