Download Pendleton Civil Service Act

Do Now!
Civil Service: Includes federal jobs in the
executive branch.
Gold Standard: Policy of designating monetary
units in terms of their value in gold. Bankers
worried abandoning it would weaken the
economy.
Pendleton Civil Service Act: Established an
exam for prospective government employees.
EQ: Why did the political structure
change during the Gilded Age?
The students will be able to interpret
and analyze the concepts of the
attitude and role of government.
Ch 16 Sec 2: Political and Economic
Challenges
• During the Gilded Age, neither the Democrats
nor the Republicans held control for more
than two years in a row. This made it difficult
to pass new laws. Presidents during this era
seemed weak and lacked integrity. Inaction
and corruption were common. The most
noteworthy President of the era was Grover
Cleveland. In an era known for its corruption,
President Cleveland maintained a reputation
for integrity.
*Not to be confused with this Grover
• Political cartoonists expressed their concern
about the damaging effects of corruption and big
money. “The Bosses of the Senate” is one of the
most famous political cartoons of the time,
drawn by Joseph Keppler, showed a cluster of
businessmen representing various trusts, glaring
down on the chambers of the senate. Thomas
Nast did a series of cartoons which exposed the
illegal activities of William Marcy “Boss” Tweed,
a powerful NYC politician. Eventually, Tweed was
arrested. However, he escaped and fled to Spain
where he was identified through one of Nast’s
cartoons.
William Marcy “Boss” Tweed
• Under the spoils system, politicians gave
government jobs to loyal party workers
without consideration of their qualifications.
Government officials used federal contracts to
convince people to vote for their candidates.
• President James Garfield and other prominent
figures wanted to reform the civil service system.
This system includes federal jobs in the executive
branch. In a reformed system, government
workers would get jobs based on their expertise.
Vice President Chester Arthur signed the
Pendleton Civil Service Act in 1883 after Garfield
was assassinated by a citizen who felt cheated
out of a job. This act established a civil service
commission. The commission wrote an exam that
all potential government workers took. Getting a
job was based on how well one did on the exam,
not on one’s political affiliation and connections.
*Not to be confused with this Garfield
• The tariff and the monetary policy were two
economic issues that created controversy
during this era. Republicans favored a high
tariff. They argued that it would create new
jobs and allow industry to grow. Democrats
believed high tariffs would raise prices and
make it harder to sell American goods abroad.
• There was a disagreement over the gold
standard, the use of gold as the basis of the
nation’s currency. Bankers and others feared
that the use of silver for coins would
undermine the economy. Farmers argued that
the rejection of silver money would lead to
low crop prices and financial ruin. Congress
passed the Coinage Act of 1873, which
abolished the minting of silver coins. After
protest, however, it authorized the minting of
silver dollars.
• In 1867, Oliver H. Kelley organized the Grange,
an organization of farmers that provided
education on farming techniques. It was one of
a network of organizations created to solve
farmers’ problems. Illinois, Wisconsin, and
Minnesota had set maximum rates for shipping
grain. The Grange called for the regulation of
railroad and grain elevator rates and prompted
the federal government to establish the Interstate
Commerce Commission (ICC). Farmers’ Alliances
began working for reform in the late 1870s. The
Farmers Alliance established postal banks to
provide farmers with low-interest loans to
farmers.
• The Populist Party was a political party that
ran slates of farm-friendly candidates. The
party grew rapidly, putting pressure on the
two major political parties to consider their
demands. They called for the coinage of silver
to raise crop prices. To combat high costs,
they demanded government ownership of
railroads. In 1892, they elected several
governors and senators, and ten congressmen.
Their presidential candidate received more
than one million votes.
• In 1896, Populists were forced to decide
whether to nominate their own presidential
candidate or to endorse Democratic Party
nominee William Jennings Bryan. They chose
to endorse Bryan, who supported many
Populist proposals.
• William Jennings Bryan, who advocated “free
silver” lost the election to Republican
candidate William McKinley. Bryan’s
emphasis on monetary reform did not appeal
to urban workers. The Populist decision to
endorse Bryan weakened the party at the
local and state levels. The party never
recovered, and by the early 1900s, it had
disappeared as a viable alternative to the two
major political parties.
EXIT SLIP
Support for civil service reform in the 1880's
was a reaction to the
a. abuses in the electoral college system
b. principle of separation of powers
c. spoils system
d. gold standard
EXIT SLIP
Support for civil service reform in the 1880's
was a reaction to the
a. abuses in the electoral college system
b. principle of separation of powers
c. spoils system
d. gold standard
EXIT SLIP
• How did the spoils system lead to corruption
and eventually government reform?