I favor recall for U.S. Senators (little point in doing that for House members, since after a year in they’re already in the midst of their next primary season), since they’ve become a very serious problem.
Spoils was the best in my estimation, because you had your people in for 4-8 years and out they went (with only truly exceptional individuals kept on beyond that). No taxpayer-funded bennies out their butts. These folks are totally insulated from reality and getting rich beyond the dreams of avarice. Worst of all, they are perpetually motivated to vote for larger and larger government to protect their jobs and benefits. The Founding Fathers didn’t even want these people voting.
You’re absolutely right that there shouldn’t be government worker unions, period.
” ...getting rich beyond the dreams of avarice ...”
Completely untrue at the GS1 to GS15 level but be that as it may. Since 1985 the system changed drastically and federal benefits have not been that great. It’s very likely to change for the worse again because of the past abuses putting pressure on the system.
I have always advocated that whatever level of government you work in you can’t vote in elections that support that level of government. Because as you point out you’re not a disinterested party. So a federal employee by becoming one gives up the right to vote in federal elections but can vote in state, county or municipality. Likewise a state employee can vote in federal, county & municipality but not state and so on. This would only require multiple election days but would be fair.
However most of the problem could solved by de-unionization and vigorous enforcement of the Hatch Act. Rat administrations never enforce it (laugh a it!) GOP administrations pretend to!