Project 2025 Raises Concerns Over Federal Employment Practices

Project 2025, also known as Project Sovereignty 2025, has sparked criticism over its potential to undermine merit-based federal hiring practices established since the Pendleton Act of 1883. Critics, including Max Stier of the Partnership for Public Service, warn that the initiative could lead to a revival of patronage systems reminiscent of McCarthy-era politics.

The concerns come amid a broader context of controversial changes in federal employment. For example, on April 7, 2025, Reuters reported that unions had moved to block an executive order eliminating collective bargaining rights for many federal workers. Similarly, other measures—such as reclassifying certain federal positions—have raised alarms among public service advocates about a systematic erosion of long-standing employment protections under the current administration.