STATE AND LOCAL APPOINTMENTS.
State Appointments.— In making appoint ments most States follow the practices of the Federal government, the major portion of the appointing power being exercised by the gov ernor and the heads of the,State departments, though there are a number of officials, elected by the people, who exercise the appointing power absolutely independent of the governor. In most States, the senate must confirm the governor's appointees, and his removals from office are subject to the same restriction. Most States limit the term of office of all the important officials, whether appointive or elective. In Maine, Massachusetts and New Hampshire i there is an elective council who confirm ap pointments. In the Northern States the spoils system developed early, and by 1805 had become the recognized system of appointments to office; in both North and West it still prevails, but the system never gained a strong foothold in the South. The few weak attempts to break its influence in the North have proved unavailing and only six States now have civil service laws that apply to the State service.
Local City and local governments have no uniform system of appoint ments to office. As first constituted the elective city council had the power of appointment, with the exception of the most important city offi cials, who were appointed by the governor of the State. Later the mayor was given power to appoint, but his appointments were subject to the.approval of the city council or, if the bicameral system (q.v.) were in vogue, to the approval of the upper chamber of the council. The mayor's privilege of appointing his official family is limited also by the large number of elective officials in city governments and by the retention by the city council of the power of appointing department heads and subordinates.
In all cities the most important officials are limited in their term of office. Some cities employ the *Brooklyn plan° of holding the mayor responsible by vesting in him unrestricted power of appointment and removal of depart ment heads, and this provision was incorporated in the New York city charter. In cities under
commission government, the city council usually possesses the power of appointment. In county, town and village governments all the important officials are elective. More than 200 cities are enforcing civil service laws, and they have been applied to a very few of the largest villages in New York State, but they have not been ap plied in smaller units save in the police and fire departments of a few Massachusetts towns. See AMBASSADOR; CIVIL SERVICE REFORM; CON GRESS ; CONSULAR SERVICE; dUDICIARY ; PATRON SENATE; TENURE OF OFFICE; and the fol lowing titles under the general heading Winn) STATES: THE BEGINNINGS OF PARTY ORGANIZA TION, THE CABINET OF THE, JUDICIARY OF THE, THE NSW DEMOCRACY AND THE SPOILS SYSTEM, THE PRESIDENT'S .0MCE, THE VICE-PRESI DENCY, THE SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRE SENTATIVES.
Fairlie, J. A., (The National Administration of the United States> (New York 1905) ; Fish, C. R., Service and the Patronage> (New York 1905) and article "Re movals of Officials by the President of the United States)" (in Report of the American Historical Association,' Vol. I, pp 67-86. 1899) ; Foltz, E. B., (Federal Civil Service as a Career' (Chap. VII, New York 1909); Finley, J. H., and Sanderson, J. F., 'The American Executive and Executive Methods' (New York 1908); Goodnow, F. J., tive Administrative Law' (New York 1903) • Hinds, A. C., Manual' (§§93-96, Wash ington 1909); Reinsch, P. S., (Readings in American Federal Government' (New York 1909); Salmon, L. M., Power of the President> (in Historical Asso ciation Papers,' Vol. I No. 5, 1886); of the United States Civil Service Commission; and (Publications' of the National Civil Serv ice Reform League.