Political Appointee

A political appointee is an individual selected by an elected official—typically a head of government or head of state—to serve in a government position based on shared political views, personal loyalty, policy expertise, or party affiliation, rather than through a competitive civil service examination. Appointees fill roles ranging from cabinet ministers and ambassadors to agency heads, deputy secretaries, and advisory board members.

In the United States, political appointees are tracked in the so-called "Plum Book" (officially United States Government Policy and Supporting Positions), published every four years after a presidential election by the House and Senate in alternating cycles. It lists roughly 7,000–9,000 positions that an incoming administration may fill. These break into several categories:

• PAS positions: Presidential Appointments requiring Senate confirmation (e.g., cabinet secretaries, federal judges, ambassadors).
• PA positions: Presidential Appointments not requiring Senate confirmation.
• Schedule C: Confidential or policy-determining roles, typically below the Senior Executive Service level.
• Non-career SES: Senior Executive Service slots reserved for political picks.

Other democracies operate similarly but on a much smaller scale. The United Kingdom limits ministerial special advisers ("SpAds") to a few hundred, with most civil servants remaining politically neutral under the Northcote–Trevelyan tradition dating to 1854. France, Germany, and Canada also blend career bureaucrats with a thinner layer of political nominees.

Political appointees are distinct from career civil servants, who hold tenure protections and serve across administrations. Critics argue heavy reliance on appointees—particularly in the U.S.—creates governance gaps during transitions, since hundreds of senior roles can sit vacant or filled by "acting" officials for months. Supporters counter that appointees ensure elected leaders can implement their mandate. Debates over Schedule F, an executive order issued in October 2020 that would have reclassified many career roles as at-will political positions, illustrate ongoing tension between political control and bureaucratic independence.