The federal (or "big") Hatch Act, which excludes most federal and some state and local government employees from partisan political participation, has stood as a reflection of the politics-administration dichotomy since its enactment in 1989. Although now primarily a federal concern since state and local employees are subject to relatively few Hatch Act prohibitions, the statute's restrictions remain a significant concern to many federal employees and students of public personnel practices. This article discusses and reviews previous research on the Hatch Act. Findings and conclusions drawn from an examination of both federal and nonfederal laws that are related to the Hatch Act's underlying goal—constraining the political activities of public employees— are also presented.
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