Trump Administration Ends Carter-Era Hiring Decree

The Trump administration has quietly ended a notable directive from former President Jimmy Carter, which focused on diversity and inclusion in government employment. This order, put in place decades ago, was a significant measure aimed at addressing disparities in civil service exams.

Originally, this directive stemmed from a 1979 Supreme Court case, Ruevano v. Ezel, which found that civil service exams disproportionately disadvantaged Black and Hispanic applicants. In response, Carter’s 1981 order mandated that federal agencies eliminate these tests and develop ones that provided equitable outcomes for all demographic groups.

Over the years, the Human Resources Bureau made attempts—six in total—to create such tests but faced failures each time. With the cessation of Carter’s order, there are now fewer restrictions on government assessments of civil service exams, potentially changing how ethnic minority impacts are considered.

Russell T. Warne, a psychologist, mentioned that this decision could lead to “significant shifts” in how civil rights laws are viewed in the context of employment. Attorney General Harm K. Dillon expressed similar sentiments, stating that for over 40 years, this order hindered the federal government from hiring top talent. He emphasized that today’s actions would refocus employment criteria on merit, rather than race.

The America First Legal Foundation had previously filed complaints aimed at ending the decree. Dan Epstein, the foundation’s vice president, argued that employing the best minds for government work would yield substantial benefits for the nation.

District of Columbia Attorney Janine Piro commented on the situation, remarking that merit should be the overriding factor for judgment in hiring processes, which resonates with the ideal that individuals should be evaluated based on their character, not identity.