Survey Finds Politicization Drove Federal Workers Out

A consortium survey of more than 2,000 former career civil servants identifies politicization as the top reason for leaving federal service.

Updated on Nov. 3, 2026 in Employment

Survey Finds Politicization Drove Federal Workers Out

Live Poll

Do you trust the federal government to keep civil service jobs free of politics?

The Accountability and Reform Research Consortium released a survey in October 2026 of former federal civil servants who left government on or after Nov. 5, 2024. Nearly half of respondents cited politicization among their primary three reasons for separating.

Why it matters

The civil service has lost a net of nearly 300,000 employees since the start of Trump's second term, and agencies generally did not conduct exit surveys for workers who were pushed out or left. The findings offer a rare account of why departing employees went, for a national audience tracking federal workforce capacity.

The survey covered more than 2,000 former career civil servants from 55 agencies, with an average coercion score of 0.75 for laid-off employees compared with 0.17 for those who retired as planned. The sample is nonrandom and relies on self-reported recollection, leaving its representativeness unconfirmed.

The players

Accountability and Reform Research Consortium

A research group that conducted the survey of former federal civil servants and published its findings in October 2026.

The details

Respondents rated how coerced they felt into leaving on a 0 to 1 scale, and groups across political ideology reported similar levels of politicization. Compensation and career advancement ranked near the bottom of separation reasons, while deferred resignation program participants averaged a coercion score of 0.50.

Nov. 5, 2024: Survey eligibility window begins for employees who departed on or after this date.
October 2026: The Accountability and Reform Research Consortium releases the report.

Big Picture

The survey explains the reasons behind the net loss of nearly 300,000 civil service employees since the start of Trump's second term. It offers a view into departures that agencies generally did not document through exit surveys.

For workers and job seekers, the findings highlight that federal jobs have experienced sustained departures tied to politicization and layoffs. The 87% of laid-off respondents open to returning suggests a potential pool of experienced applicants for agencies seeking to rebuild staffing.

The takeaway

Departing federal workers cited politicization far more often than pay or advancement, a pattern that may shape how agencies approach rehiring. The survey's results reflect self-reported views from a nonrandom sample, so they point to a trend worth monitoring rather than a settled measure.