The Honorable John Glenn

Many public administration authorities have expressed concerns about the tendency of senior political appointees in the Executive branch to serve for periods that are significantly shorter than a presidential term. ' These authorities believe that frequent changes in key leadership positions can (1) cause disruption in program management, (2) lead to key positions remaining vacant for long periods, and (3) prevent clear assignment of accountability for program outcomes. To help address this issue, you asked us to obtain information on the periods of service for persons appointed by the President to federal Executive Schedule positions with the advice and consent of the Senate during a recent lo-year period. This fact sheet provides that information. BACKGROUND Under the law,2 the Executive Schedule, which includes many of the most senior positions in the federal government, is composed of positions in five pay levels. These range from Level I (currently $148,400 annually) to Level V (currently $108,200 annually). IA bibliography of related materials is provided following appendix VII. 25 U.S.C. section 5311 establishes the authority for positions in the Executive Schedule. The specific positions in the Executive Schedule, which are usually identified in agency authorizing legislation, are listed at 5 U.S.C. sections 5312-16