1. Gilded Age Politics b Political Parties b The Electorate b Gilded Age Reform b Garfield and Arthur b 1884-Blaine v. Cleveland b Tariff Reform b Harrison and the surplus

2. Republicans b Generally more conservative b native-born Americans from North or black Southerner b Protestant b Union Civil War Veteran b Progressive Reformer

3. Democrats b Generally more liberal b less-inclined to interfere with business b in favor of more personal liberty b Possibly an outsider-- Southern whites, immigrants, Catholics and Jews b Also free-thinkers

4. Republican Reform b Stalwarts- Roscoe P. Conkling Favored the “spoils” system Favored the “spoils” system b Half-Breeds- James G. Blaine in favor of limited civil service reform in favor of limited civil service reform

5. James A. Garfield

6. Chester A. Arthur

7. Civil Service Reform b Pendleton Civil Service Reform Act (1884) b Civil Service Commission b Classified jobs as civil service: b Supposed to go to the best qualified candidates, regardless of party. b Promotion based on merit.

8. 1884: Blaine/Cleveland

9. Interstate Commerce Act 1887 b Established Interstate Commerce Comm. b Largely a regulatory agency with no enforcement mechanism b they could tell R.R.’s their rates were too high, but couldn’t set rates or levy fines.

10. The Tariff b Tax on imported goods b Protects domestic business against foreign competition b consumers are usually the losers

11. Benjamin Harrison

12. Sherman Anti-trust Act 1890 b Forbade contracts, combinations, or conspiracies in restraint of trade or monopolies in interstate commerce. b Aimed at curbing abuses of big business b Largely symbolic in nature during Gilded Age