Question

The spoils system, which awarded government jobs to political supporters, significantly impacted both President James Garfield and his successor Chester A. Arthur. Garfield, who initially opposed the system, found himself caught in a power struggle between reformers and stalwarts within his party, which ultimately contributed to his assassination by Charles Guiteau, a disgruntled office seeker. Guiteau believed he deserved a government position due to his support for Garfield's campaign. Garfield's death in 1881 prompted Arthur, who had been a supporter of the spoils system, to reevaluate his stance on the issue. As president, Arthur surprisingly embraced reform and championed the Pendleton Civil Service Reform Act of 1883, which aimed to curb patronage and introduce merit-based hiring in the federal government. Thus, the spoils system not only shaped Garfield's presidency through conflict and tragedy but also led to a significant shift in Arthur’s policies toward civil service reform.

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Answer 1

The spoils system was a practice where government jobs were handed out to people who supported political leaders. This system had a big impact on President James Garfield and his successor, Chester A. Arthur. Garfield didn't really like the spoils system, but he found himself stuck in a struggle between two groups in his party: the reformers who wanted to change things and the "stalwarts" who wanted to keep the system as it was. This conflict played a role in his assassination by Charles Guiteau, a man who thought he deserved a government job because he had supported Garfield’s campaign.

After Garfield was killed in 1881, Chester A. Arthur, who had supported the spoils system before, started to think differently about it. As president, he surprised everyone by backing reforms to improve the system. He worked on the Pendleton Civil Service Reform Act of 1883, which aimed to reduce the influence of the spoils system and promote hiring based on merit instead of political connections. So, the spoils system not only affected Garfield's time in office through struggle and tragedy but also changed Arthur’s approach to government jobs and reform.