Hatch Act
United States 1939
Synopsis
The 1939 Hatch Act places certain restrictions on executive and federal employees in regard to their participation in political activities. Certain employees of local and state government also fall under the restrictions that are codified by this law. In addition, the act prohibits federal agencies and specific types of employees from engaging in political activities of a partisan nature. Although this act became an official law after its introduction in 1939, the law is based on an executive order that had been set down by President Thomas Jefferson in 1801. The nonpartisanship principles of this act were developed not only to protect the government from its employees, but also to protect its employees from government, particularly those in government who hold positions of authority. Since its inception, the Hatch Act has been upheld in the Supreme Court, and attempts to amend it have been vetoed twice. In 1993 President Bill Clinton signed the Hatch Act Reform Amendments, loosening the law with regard to most federal and District of Columbia employees engaging in political management or campaigns. However, restrictions remain under Public Law 103-94, and the protections offered under the Hatch Act remain fully in effect.
This page contains 201 words.
Hatch Act article
Read the rest of this article.
This article contains 2,220 words
(approx. 7 pages at 300 words per page).
Order our Hatch Act of 1939 Article
