Read the following statement made by President Jimmy Carter at the signing of the Civil Service Reform Act on October 13, 1978, in Santa Barbara, California, and respond to the question that follows. History will regard the Civil Service Reform Act of 1978 as one of the most important laws enacted by this Congress. Congress has done an extraordinary job in shaping this landmark legislation and enacting it in just over 7 months. This legislation will bring fundamental improvements to the Federal personnel system. It puts merit principles into statute and defines prohibited personnel practices. It establishes a Senior Executive Service and bases the pay of executives and senior managers on the quality of their performance. It provides a more sensible method for evaluating individual performance. It gives managers more flexibility and more authority to hire, motivate, reward, and discipline employees to ensure that the public's work gets done. At the same time, it provides better protection for employees against arbitrary actions and abuses and contains safeguards against political intrusion. The act assures that whistleblowers will be heard, and that they will be protected from reprisal for their courage.

What was the president referring to when he referred to whistleblowers?

A whistleblower is a member of an inter-department committee staffed by employees with legal expertise who are responsible for alerting all staff to new policies and practices.

A whistleblower is a senior executive who will not be penalized for removing non-productive employees so long as he or she can justify his organizational decisions.

A whistleblower is an employee who files a formal complaint with the OPM or other regulatory board about an ongoing or specific violation of personnel policy.

A whistleblower is a disruptive employee who is either disciplined or demoted for his or her actions which disrupt the workplace or their department specifically.