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It is a truism everywhere, even within Marxist-Leninist States still trudging along the Socialist Path, that capital is invested and labor is both purchased. Capital--the things, including things that hold value (like money)--is exploited by exchanging it for other things at the end a cycle of such exchanges the total value of things grows (however it is that one values those things). Labor is the lubricant, the catalyzing agent, the kinetic force, that aids in the process of transforming one thing (investment capital) for another (the product of invest), both reduced to a fungible value that itself may be invested or transformed. Lubricants, catalyzing agents, and the like once purchased can be consumed in the process of the production of transformation of one set of things of value for another set of things of value--all ultimately reducible to money or its equivalents (or at least made fungible through the medium of this form of investing a thing with a quality (value) that can then be used, bargained for or exchanged or contributed to other things that produce even more or different things with (hopefully) higher aggregate value. Perhaps that makes sense--people are easy enough to make, or to bring in (and thus the migration politics in part); objects may take more effort and their production is less predictable. And the connection between people--people who are consumed in production also consume the objects of production in the production of which they are consumed adds a nice self-referencing touch to the semiotics of firstness (thingd including persons), their secondness/signification (production and consumption) and their collective understanding (adding value through production and consumption of things).
It is in this sense that this fundamental (if ironically semiotic) understanding of the kinetic role and character of activity (whether economic, social, cultural or the like) and its two component parts. It is worth remembering here that there are two component parts--labor and capital--because of its semiotic power. That is, that the objects through which, when put through a process (iterative dialectic) can produce another thing or things have been signified in quite distinct ways in order to permit the elaboration of quite interesting, and sometimes oppositional, variations on a collective ideal that people (labor) ought to be consumed and that things (capital) ought to be preserved and augmented. Fair enough, and a critical premise of both markets based liberal democratic and so-called Socialist (committed to Marxist ends through the deployment of Leninist machinery) conceptual cages. Their fundamental mimetic character is always and usefully veiled by the hyperfocus on the details through which each elaborates systems for the consumption of people and the apotheosis of things (including today the environment).
Conceptual cages tend to bleed over into all forms of institutional life. And one might expect that public institutions (and institutional thinking about the character and function of its productive elements) would be similar. With that in mind, then, President Trump's recent announcement-- "Creating Schedule G in the Excepted Service" and its explanation, "Fact Sheet: President Donald J. Trump Creates New Classification of Federal Employee to Help Serve the American People" make perfect sense.
Today, President Donald J. Trump signed an Executive Order creating a new classification of non-career federal workers, “Schedule G” employees, to better serve Americans’ needs by focusing on implementing Administration policies. The Order amends Civil Service Rule VI to fill an existing gap in federal employee classifications by creating a new type of hire, Schedule G, for employees who engage in policy-making or policy-advocating work. Schedule G positions will be non-career positions, meaning incumbents will generally be expected to leave when the President who appointed them leaves office. Schedule G will not apply to career positions or career employees. Schedule G employees will be hired to help faithfully implement the President’s policy agenda. ("Fact Sheet)
Much of the press coverage/critique focused on the added power to hire political appointees (eg HERE). That may be so. Much more profound, however, may be its enhancement of principles of labor consumption in the service of elected officials to produce objects of political values within the regulatory factories of the United States. The text of both are provided below.
By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, including sections 3301, 3302, and 7511 of title 5, United States Code, it is hereby ordered:
Section 1. Purpose. The Congress has recognized that effective Government administration requires excepting some positions from the competitive service based on their confidential, policy-determining, policy-making, or policy-advocating character. Existing excepted service schedules make partial use of this authority. Schedule C of the excepted service authorizes appointments to noncareer excepted service positions of a confidential or policy-determining character. Schedule Policy/Career of the excepted service authorizes appointments to career positions of a confidential, policy-determining, policy-making, or policy-advocating character.
There is, however, no excepted service schedule for noncareer positions of a policy-making or policy-advocating character. Pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 3302(1), conditions of good administration, including eliminating this gap in excepted service schedules and improving the operations of the Department of Veterans Affairs, make necessary creating a new Schedule G in the excepted service for noncareer positions of a policy-making or policy-advocating character.
Sec. 2. Definition. The phrase “normally subject to change as a result of a Presidential transition” refers to positions whose occupants are, as a matter of practice, expected to resign upon a Presidential transition and includes all positions whose appointment requires the assent of the White House Office of Presidential Personnel.
Sec. 3. Excepted Service. Appointments of individuals to positions of a policy-making or policy-advocating character normally subject to change as a result of a Presidential transition shall be made under Schedule G of the excepted service, as established by section 4 of this order.
Sec. 4. Schedule G. Civil Service Rule VI is amended as follows:
(a) 5 CFR 6.2 is amended to read:
“OPM shall list positions that it excepts from the competitive service in Schedules A, B, C, D, E, Policy/Career, and G, which schedules shall constitute parts of this rule, as follows:
Schedule A. Positions other than those of a confidential or policy-determining character for which it is not practicable to examine shall be listed in Schedule A.
Schedule B. Positions other than those of a confidential or policy-determining character for which it is not practicable to hold a competitive examination shall be listed in Schedule B. Appointments to these positions shall be subject to such noncompetitive examination as may be prescribed by OPM.
Schedule C. Positions of a confidential or policy-determining character normally subject to change as a result of a Presidential transition shall be listed in Schedule C.
Schedule D. Positions other than those of a confidential or policy-determining character for which the competitive service requirements make impracticable the adequate recruitment of sufficient numbers of students attending qualifying educational institutions or individuals who have recently completed qualifying educational programs. These positions, which are temporarily placed in the excepted service to enable more effective recruitment from all segments of society by using means of recruiting and assessing candidates that diverge from the rules generally applicable to the competitive service, shall be listed in Schedule D.
Schedule E. Positions of administrative law judge appointed under 5 U.S.C. 3105 shall be listed in Schedule E. Conditions of good administration warrant that the position of administrative law judge be placed in the excepted service and that appointment to this position not be subject to the requirements of 5 CFR, part 302, including examination and rating requirements, though each agency shall follow the principle of veteran preference as far as administratively feasible.
Schedule Policy/Career. Career positions of a confidential, policy-determining, policy-making, or policy-advocating character not normally subject to change as a result of a Presidential transition shall be listed in Schedule Policy/Career. In appointing an individual to a position in Schedule Policy/Career, each agency shall follow the principle of veteran preference as far as administratively feasible.
Schedule G. Positions of a policy-making or policy-advocating character normally subject to change as a result of a Presidential transition shall be listed in Schedule G.”
(b) 5 CFR 6.4 is amended to read:
“Except as required by statute, the Civil Service Rules and Regulations shall not apply to removals from positions listed in Schedules A, C, D, E, Policy/Career, or G, or from positions excepted from the competitive service by statute. The Civil Service Rules and Regulations shall apply to removals from positions listed in Schedule B of persons who have competitive status.”
Sec. 5. Implementation. (a) The Director of the Office of Personnel Management shall adopt such regulations as the Director determines may be necessary to implement this order, giving particular attention to appropriate amendments to 5 CFR, part 213.
(b) In making appointments to positions in Schedule G of the excepted service, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs:
(i) shall consider whether prospective appointees would be suitable exponents of the President’s policies; and
(ii) shall not take into account prospective appointees’ political affiliation or political activity.
Sec. 6. General Provisions. (a) Nothing in this order shall be construed to impair or otherwise affect:
(i) the authority granted by law to an executive department or agency, or the head thereof; or
(ii) the functions of the Director of the Office of Management and Budget relating to budgetary, administrative, or legislative proposals.
(b) This order shall be implemented consistent with applicable law and subject to the availability of appropriations.
(c) This order is not intended to, and does not, create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in equity by any party against the United States, its departments, agencies, or entities, its officers, employees, or agents, or any other person.
(d) The costs for publication of this order shall be borne by the Office of Personnel Management.
DONALD J. TRUMP
THE WHITE HOUSE,
July 17, 2025.
CREATING NEW NON-CAREER, POLICY-ORIENTED EMPLOYEES IN THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT: Today, President Donald J. Trump signed an Executive Order creating a new classification of non-career federal workers, “Schedule G” employees, to better serve Americans’ needs by focusing on implementing Administration policies.
- The Order amends Civil Service Rule VI to fill an existing gap in federal employee classifications by creating a new type of hire, Schedule G, for employees who engage in policy-making or policy-advocating work.
- Schedule G positions will be non-career positions, meaning incumbents will generally be expected to leave when the President who appointed them leaves office. Schedule G will not apply to career positions or career employees.
- Schedule G employees will be hired to help faithfully implement the President’s policy agenda.
ADDRESSING GAPS IN GOVERNMENT EFFICIENCY: President Trump believes creating non-career Schedule G positions will enhance government efficiency and accountability and improve services provided to taxpayers by increasing the horsepower for agency implementation of Administration policy.
- Congress has recognized that some Federal positions, due to their confidential, policy-determining, policy-making, or policy-advocating character, should be exempt from the career-employee protections that make it difficult to remove corrupt or poor performing workers.
- Existing types of employees, like Schedule C and Schedule Policy/Career, do not provide for non-career appointments to policy-making or policy-advocating roles, leaving a gap in Federal hiring categories.
- Creating Schedule G fills this gap and facilitates appointments of non-career federal employees who will serve temporarily and implement the policy agenda prescribed by the American people through our elections. This will improve operations, particularly in agencies like the Department of Veterans Affairs, by streamlining appointments for key policy roles.
REFORMING THE BUREAUCRACY: President Trump is delivering on his promise to dismantle the deep state and reclaim our government from Washington corruption.
- In April, President Trump created a new Federal employee category, Schedule Policy/Career, to enhance accountability for career Federal employees in policy-related roles.
- President Trump is reducing bureaucratic inefficiencies by ensuring Federal agencies prioritize the will of the American people over entrenched interests.
- The Administration has taken steps to review and eliminate unnecessary regulations, aligning with the goal of making our government more responsive and effective.
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