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How did the spoils system affect President James Garfield and his successor Chester A. Arthur? one or two sentences

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Answered by GPT-5 mini AI
The spoils system prompted assassin Charles Guiteau — a disgruntled office-seeker who believed he was owed a patronage job — to kill President James Garfield, exposing the system's dangers and sparking calls for reform. His successor, Chester A. Arthur, though long tied to the patronage machine, surprised many by supporting and signing the Pendleton Civil Service Act of 1883, creating merit-based federal hiring.