2008 Plum Book
Interactive version of 2008 Plum Book now in Search for Opportunities.
About the Plum Book: What's Inside?
The pages of this purple-colored book outline “plum” policy making and support positions within the U.S. government that are eligible to be filled by political appointment. The Plum Book includes both politically-appointed and Career Civil Service positions for a total of over 7,000 Federal government positions.
The Plum Book was first published in 1952, when the Eisenhower Administration was voted into office after 20 years of Democratic administrations. The plum-colored book lists leadership and support positions in the Legislative and Executive branches of the Federal government that may be filled by political appointment, nationwide. This includes positions such as agency heads and their immediate subordinates, policy executives and advisors, and aides who report to them.
From the Preamble of the Plum Book
Every four years, just after the Presidential election, the “United States Government Policy and Supporting Positions”, commonly known as the Plum Book, is published, alternately, by the House Committee on Government Reform and the Subcommittee on Oversight of Government Management, the Federal Workforce, and the District of Columbia (OGM) of the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.
The Plum Book contains data on over 7,000 Federal civil service leadership and support positions in the Legislative and Executive branches of the Federal Government that may be subject to noncompetitive appointment (e.g., positions such as agency heads and their immediate subordinates, policy executives and advisors, and aides who report to these officials). The duties of such positions may involve advocacy of Administration policies and programs, and the incumbents usually have a close and confidential working relationship with the agency head or other key officials.
Information on the appointed positions is provided by the Office of Personnel Management (OPM).
These are the types of major categories of positions listed in the Plum Book:
- -- Executive Schedule and salary-equivalent positions paid at the rates established for levels I through V of the Executive Schedule.
- -- Senior Executive Service “General” positions.
- -- Senior Foreign Service positions.
- -- Schedule C positions excepted from the competitive service by the President or by the Director of the Office of Personnel Management because of the confidential or policy-determining nature of the position duties.
- -- Also included are other positions at the GS-14 and above level excepted from the competitive civil service by law because of the confidential or policy-determining nature of the position duties.
- Additional information on the positions listed and the Federal salary schedules under which they are paid is provided in Plum Book appendices. There is also a Legend, which shows the codes and acronyms used in this publication.
Position Location
Where the positions are located including countries and cities for overseas posts.
Position Title
The position titles and names of the organizations in which they are located.
Type of Appointment
The letter codes that denote the type of appointment under which the position is categorized.
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Appointment Code
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What It Stands For
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CA
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Career Appointment
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EA
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Limited Emergency Appointment
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NA
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Noncareer Appointment
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PA
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Presidential Appointment without Senate Confirmation
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PAS
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Presidential Appointment with Senate Confirmation
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SC
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Schedule C Excepted Appointment
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TA
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Limited Term Appointment
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XS
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Appointment Excepted by Statute
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To look at Plum Books going back to 1996, go to http://www.gpoaccess.gov/plumbook/index.html. Note that this is the online version, so these ones do not have a plum-colored cover.
