The federal office of personnel management was pleased enough with the result to draft legislation permitting other agencies to adopt the same basic system. Unfortunately, the Reagan administration decided that it had to be "Cost neutral"
--- meaning that any pay increases or bonuses had to be paid by reducing staff or pay elsewhere.In part for this
reason,in part because several public employees unions opposed any merit pay,Congress yawned.
Still the China Lake Experiment shows the way toward a modern personnel system by demonstrating the success of: