Document ID: ./input/supremecourt_opinions/opinions/10pdf/09-530.pdf
Page Number: 3

Cite as:  562 U. S. ____ (2011) 

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Syllabus 

“internal operation,” Cafeteria & Restaurant Workers v. McElroy, 367 
U. S. 886, 896, it has a much freer hand than when it regulates as to
citizens generally.  The questions respondents challenge are part of a 
standard  background  check  of  the  sort  used  by  millions  of  private
employers.  The Government has been conducting employment inves-
tigations  since  the  Republic’s  earliest  days,  and  the  President  has 
had  statutory  authority  to  assess  an  applicant’s  fitness  for  the  civil
service  since  1871.    Standard  background  investigations  similar  to
those  at  issue  became  mandatory  for  federal  civil-service  candidates 
in 1953, and the investigations challenged here arose from a decision
to  extend  that  requirement  to  federal  contract  employees.    This  his-
tory shows that the Government has an interest in conducting basic
background checks in order to ensure the security of its facilities and
to  employ  a  competent,  reliable  workforce  to  carry  out  the  people’s 
business.  The interest is not diminished by the fact that respondents
are contract employees.  There are no meaningful distinctions in the 
duties of NASA’s civil-service and contractor employees, especially at
JPL,  where  contract  employees  do  work  that  is  critical  to  NASA’s 
mission  and  that  is  funded  with  a  multibillion  dollar  taxpayer  in-
vestment.  Pp. 12–15.  

(2) The  challenged  questions  on  SF–85  and  Form  42  are  rea-
sonable, employment-related inquiries that further the Government’s
interests in managing its internal operations.  SF–85’s “treatment or 
counseling”  question  is  a  followup  question  to  a  reasonable  inquiry
about illegal-drug use.  In context, the drug-treatment inquiry is also
a  reasonable,  employment-related  inquiry.  The  Government,  recog-
nizing  that  illegal-drug  use  is  both  a  criminal  and  medical  issue, 
seeks  to  separate  out  those  drug  users  who  are  taking  steps  to  ad-
dress  and  overcome  their  problems.    Thus,  it  uses  responses  to  the 
drug-treatment  question  as  a  mitigating  factor  in  its  contractor  cre-
dentialing  decisions.    The  Court  rejects  the  argument  that  the  Gov-
ernment  has  a  constitutional  burden  to  demonstrate  that  its  em-
ployment  background  questions  are  “necessary”  or  the 
least 
restrictive means of furthering its interests.  So exacting a standard 
runs directly contrary to Whalen.  See 429 U. S., at 596–597.  Pp. 16– 
18. 

(3) Like  SF–85’s  drug-treatment  question,  Form  42’s  open-
ended questions are reasonably aimed at identifying capable employ-
ees  who  will  faithfully  conduct  the  Government’s  business.    Asking
an  applicant’s  designated  references  broad  questions  about  job  suit-
ability  is  an  appropriate  tool  for  separating  strong  candidates  from 
weak  ones.    The  reasonableness  of  such  questions  is  illustrated  by
their pervasiveness in the public and private sectors.  Pp. 18–19. 

(b) In addition to being reasonable in light of the Government in-