15-4 Politics in the Gilded Age Gilded Age: A term coined by Mark Twain = refers to this time period as the nation appeared wealthy and strong, but beneath the surface the nation faced corruption and a widening gap between the rich and the poor.

1876: Republican Rutherford B. Hayes is elected the 19 th President of the United States. What was Hayes position on Civil Service Reform? Hayes supported reform He named independents to his cabinet He set up a commission to investigate corruption in the custom houses. He fired 2 corrupt top officials of the NY custom houses

Important Terms Patronage/Spoils System: The giving of government jobs to supporters of a political party or elected official regardless of his/hers qualifications. This practice led to the Assassination of President Garfield Stalwarts: Republican politicians who supported the patronage system Mugwumps: Reformers who were opposed to the patronage system. They called for a “merit system” where jobs went to the most qualified people.

1880: Republican James A. Garfield is elected the 20 th President of the United States. In the debate over civil service reform, did Garfield seem to favor the Stalwarts or the Mugwumps? Garfield supported the Mugwumps, but his Vice President, Chester Arthur remained a Stalwart right up until Garfield’s death

1881: President Garfield is assassinated and Chester A. Arthur assumes the Presidency (21 st President) What position did Arthur take on civil service reform, and what did he do to support it? After Garfield’s assassination, Arthur quickly saw the need for reform and he urged congress to pass a civil service law = Pendleton Act

1883: The Pendleton Act was passed What did the Pendleton Act do? It authorized a bipartisan civil service commission to make job appointments based on a merit system = being qualified for the position.

1884: Democrat, Grover Cleveland, is Elected 22 nd President What was Cleveland’s position on tariffs, and what did he do to promote this position? Tariff: A tax placed on goods coming into or going out of a country. (Tariffs protect U.S. industries from foreign competition) = Foreign made goods are higher priced, but, for example, that hurt the farmers who needed the foreign made farm equipment. Cleveland supported a low tariff, but was unsuccessful in convincing congress to lower tariff rates. He ran for a second term on a low- tariff platform (1888) but lost the election.

1888: Benjamin Harrison elected 23 rd President His campaign was funded by big businesses who favored higher tariffs. What was Harrison’s position on tariffs, and what did he do to support that stand? Harrison supported a high tariff and won passage of the McKinley Tariff act which raised tariffs to their highest level to date.

1892 Cleveland reelected (24 th President) What happened to tariffs during Cleveland’s second presidency? Tariffs were lowered. (Cleveland supported legislation to lower the McKinley tariff Act, but he refused to sign the bill because it called for an income tax.) The Bill became law in 1894 without the President’s signature. It lowered Tariffs but added an income tax to makeup for the funds lost due to lower tariff rates.

Republican, William McKinley, elected 25 th President What happened to tariffs during McKinley’s presidency. Tariffs were raised in support of big business.