1. Chapter 7
Section2
Political and Economic Challenges

2. THE PRACTICE OF GIVING GOVERNMENT POSITITIONS TO POLITICAL SUPORTERS WAS THE ACCEPTED WAY OF STAFFING FEDERAL OFFICES
BETWEEN 1877 AND 1900 INACTION AND POLITICAL CORRUPTION CHARACTERIZED THE POLITICAL SCENE DURING THE GILDED AGE
The Spoils System

3. Spoils System
Winning Presidential candidate gave government jobs to supporters
Began with Andrew Jackson
Rationale for system:
- Gov’t remains responsive to the people
- Assured loyalty to the President
- Increases party support

4. Stalemate
ONLY TWICE BETWEEN 1877 AND 1897 DID EITHR THE REPUBLICANS OR DEMOCRATS GAIN CONTROL OF THE WHITE HOUSE AND BOTH HOUSES OF CONGRESS AT THE SAME TIME – MADE IT VERY DIFFICULT TO PASS NEW LAWS
PRESIDENTS OF THE GILDED AGE WERE WEAK:
1. THEY WON BY SLIM MARGINS
2. SEEMED TO LACK INTEGRITY

5. Stalemate
RUTHERFORD B. HAYES OWED HIS ELECTION TO A SECRET DEAL

6. Stalemate
BENJAMIN HARRISON BECAME ONLY THE SECOND PRIESIDENT IN HISTORY TO LOSE THE POPULAR VOTE BUT WIN THE ELECTORAL COLLEGE

7. Stalemate
CHESTER ARTHUR BECAME PRESIDENT AFTER GARFIELD’S ASSASSINATION BUT DID NOT WIN HIS PARTY’S NOMINATION IN THE FOLLOWING ELECTION

8. Stalemate
PRESIDENT WITH MOST INTEGRITY DURING THIS ERA: GROVER CLEVELAND – IN 1884 HE BECAME THE FIRST DEMOCRAT TO WIN THE WHITE HOUSE IN 24 YEARS

9. POLITICAL CARTOONISTS EXPRESSED THEIR CONCERN ABOUT THE DAMAGING EFFECTS OF CORRUPTION AND BIG MONEY
POLITICAL PARTIES AND THE SPOILS SYSTEM WERE CENTRAL COMPONENTS OF POLITICS DURING THE GILDED AGE – SPOILS SYSTEM FIRST USED BY ANDREW JACKSON – PRESIDENT FROM TENNESSEE
Corruption
The Bosses of the Senate

10. Civil Service Reform
THE SPOILS SYSTEM PROMPTED A NUMBER OF PROMINENT FIGURES TO PROMOTE CIVIL SERVICE REFORM – GIVING PEOPLE JOBS BASED ON THEIR EXPERTISE NOT WHICH PARTY THEY BELONGED TO

11. Civil Service Reform CIVIL SERVICE – IS A SYSTEM THAT INCLUDES
FEDERAL JOBS IN THE
EXECUTIVE BRANCH

12. Civil Service Reform
REFORMING THE SPOILS SYSTEM CAUSED CONTROVERSY – POLITICIANS FELT THEY COULD NOT ATTRACT THE PEOPLE NEEDED TO RUN THEIR PARTIES
INDEPENDENT ATTEMPTS BY POLITICIANS TO CHANGE THE SYSTEM FAILED
REPUBLICAN PARTY DID NOT SUPPORT REFORM EFFORTS

13. Civil Service Reform
THE ASSASSINATION OF JAMES GARFIELD WAS THE REASON FOR THE SUPPORT OF REFORM – HE WAS ASSASSINATED BY CHARLES J. GUITEAU – HE WAS ANGRY BECAUSE HE BELIEVED THE REPUBLICAN PARTY FAILED TO GIVE HIM A GOVERNMENT JOB HE HAD BEEN PROMISED

14. CHESTER ARTHUR – GARFIELD’S SUCCESSOR – SUPPORTED THE MOVEMENT FOR CIVIL SERVICE REFORM
ARTHUR SIGNED THE PENDLETON CIVIL SERVICE ACT WHICH ESTABLISHED A CIVIL SERVICE COMMISSION – WHICH WROTE A CIVIL SERVICE EXAM – PEOPLE WHO WANTED TO WORK FOR THE GOVERNMENT HAD TO TAKE THE EXAM – GETTING A JOB DEPENDED ON HOW WELL AN INDIVIDUAL DID ON THE EXAM

15. Economic Issues
THE TARIFF AND MONETARY POLICY WERE CRITICAL ECONOMIC ISSUES DURING THE GILDED AGE – DIVIDED DEMOCRATS AND REPUBLICANS
INDEPENDENT POLITICAL PARTIES DISAGREED WITH THE MAJOR PARTY’S COMMITMENT TO THE GOLD STANDARD – USING GOLD FOR THE NATIONS CURRENCY

16. Tariffs ISSUES OVER TARIFFS DIVIDED DEMOCRATS AND REPUBLICANS –
BECAME A MAJOR ISSUE DURING
THE PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION OF
1888

17. Tariffs
THE REPUBLICANS FAVORED HIGH TARIFFS BECAUSE IT WOULD ALLOW AMERICAN INDUSTRY TO GROW AND PROMOTE JOBS IN MANUFACTURING
THE DEMOCRATS WERE AGAINST HIGH TARIFFS BECAUSE IT INCREASED THE COST OF GOODS TO CONSUMERS AND MADE IT HARDER FOR AMERICAN FARMERS TO SELL THEIR GOODS