"Political appointments" refer to the process of choosing people for important positions in government based on their political affiliation or loyalty rather than their qualifications or expertise. Full definition
The same is true of political appointments on all levels of government. (religion-online.org)
Clearly, this is an 8 % bonus paid to people with political appointments who have no intention of working for the State as a career. (nystateofpolitics.com)
In a nutshell, elections were seen as a less corrupt alternative to a corrupt political appointment process, especially during the progressive era. (politics.stackexchange.com)