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The main problem I see is that determining qualification would itself become politicised (you yourself said how you feel the FBI, an agency that in theory is dedicated to fighting crime, is to politicised). Also, how do you determine qualification for many of these posts? Or determine which posts need to go before a review board? And how would you apponint the board itself? For OBM, you can pretty much get off filling it with economists, but a board to review potential appointees would be a trickier thing all together. And also, many people who fill elected positions aren't seemingly qualified, and many qualified-seeming people end up totally incompetant.
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These are all valid questions, Alansmithee, and deserve consideration. First, let me clarify my vague comment on the FBI being politicized,
because it's leadership is also "appointed." The same could be said for every cabinet director and it really wasn't my intent to single out the FBI.
All levels of government have job descriptions for each position at this time. Granted, higher positions require a much broarder list of qualifications. It is the higher, appointed positions that appear to be subject to cronyism and should IMO be under greater scrutiny by an independent group such as the OBM.
I agree with you that a seamingly qualified candidate can turn out to be incompetent, but the proper course of action is to fire the individual. However, I don't think you would find the most brilliant scientist appointed to what is largely a managerial role, unless that person also held managerial credentials equivalent to the position's requirements. I'm not suggesting that more stingent vetting of political appointees would be an easy thing to do, but I don't believe the problems are insurmountable.
Voters are free to elect anyone, whether qualified or not, at all levels of government. We don't have a similar say with political appointees, nor should we. I think we do have an obligation to insist that our government infrastructure is guided by qualified leadership. An independent vetting of appointees may not be the only means of doing this; it's just the only one that occured to me.
Pollyanna falls off her soapbox