[Paine in the Neck]

I have long thought that the Civil Service Act that eliminated the spoils system was a mistake. It established a permanent army of bureaucrats as a self-interested organ of government. It is that extra-constitutional organ that is the great oppressor of the people and control of which is the valuable prize that drives the rent-seeking vampires of the business world to spend tens of billions on lobbying, bribes and regulatory capture.

[Reily]

I disagree you need “disinterested” in the sense of nonpolitical continuity.
What should have been specifically maintained was a system where government workers did not vote. Originally all the fedgov was essentially in the federal district. The federal district up until recently could not participate in national election. If I remember this right the historical behavior of Roman mobs in intimidating the cardinals into “selecting” the “right pope” was cited as an example as to why a capital city needed to be nonpolitical.

So if you're a fed you give up the right to vote in fed elections but can then vote in state, county, etc. I think the principle should be extended to state, county and municipal workers. Whatever government entity signs your paycheck you can't vote in that level of government election.