Background
In the 1830s President Andrew Jackson established the Spoils
System, or patronage, in order to  put an end to
bureaucratic corruption. Based on the idea that, "to the
victor goes the spoils," Jackson and the Democratic Party
began to appoint loyal supporters to government positions.
The Spoils System also became corrupt, and by the mid-1800s
there were calls for reform.
Civil Service
Reform
In 1881, President James Garfield was assassinated
by a disgruntled party worker who did not receive receive a
government job through the spoils system. Garfield's
successor, President Chester Arthur, supported civil service
reform, eventually signing the Pendleton Act in 1883.
The Pendleton Act provided the following reforms:
- A Civil Service Commission would be formed to administer
tests to qualified applicants for government jobs;
- Competitive exams would be used to hire some government
workers;
- Government employees would no longer be forced to make
campaign contributions to political parties.
With the enactment of the Pendleton Act, government workers
would be hired based on merit, through education and testing,
rather than being based on which party the applicant
supported.
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