City officials said the decision was not based on merit but money.

Under this program, all such appointments were based on merit, rather than political influence.

He seems to have advanced through the ranks based on merit.

Compensation, he said, should be based on merit and his market value.

There are, however, several government scholarship programs granted to students based on merit or need.

This is the only part of the process based on pure merit.

Honors classes, for example, were based on merit, officials said.

"I take heart that the judge's decision was not based on merit," he said.

In the areas of administration, especially the military, appointments were based solely on merit.

As for his party's actions in 1996, he said they were based on merit, not politics.