The five-member State Personnel Board (SPB), whose members are appointed by the Governor for ten-year terms, was established in the California Constitution in 1934. The SPB is responsible for California's civil service system. SPB ensures that the state's civil service system is free from political patronage and that employment decisions are based on merit. SPB provides a variety of recruitment, selection, classification, appellate, goal setting, training and consultation services to state departments and local agencies.