The executive branch
civil service
The career federal workforce, hired by merit and protected from being fired for political reasons. About 2 million people, the vast majority of the executive branch.
In full
Before the Pendleton Act of 1883, federal jobs were handed out as patronage and turned over with each administration. The merit system replaced that with competitive examination, job protections, and political-activity limits under the Hatch Act. The civil service is what makes an agency's work continue across administrations, and the boundary between it and political appointees is a recurring fight.
Also written as: merit system, career civil servant
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A plain-language explanation for civic education, not legal advice. When in doubt, the official source named above controls.