This report explains the interaction between the U.S. Constitution and adverse personnel actions in a merit-based civil service. It discusses the current civil service laws for adverse actions and the history behind their formation. It also addresses why the Constitution requires that any system to remove a public employee for cause must include: (1) an opportunity for the individual to know the charges and present a defense; and (2) the ability to appeal a removal decision before an impartial adjudicator. The report also contains an appendix that corrects some misperceptions people may have about how the current civil service operates.