Question

how did the spoils system affect President James Garfield and his successor Chester A.

Answer 1

The spoils system, which involved awarding political supporters with government jobs, had a significant impact on President James Garfield and his successor Chester A. Arthur.

President Garfield was assassinated in 1881 by a disgruntled office seeker who was denied a government position. Garfield's assassination drew attention to the dangers of the spoils system and led to increased calls for civil service reform.

In response to Garfield's assassination, his successor Chester A. Arthur became a supporter of civil service reform. Arthur signed the Pendleton Civil Service Reform Act in 1883, which established a merit-based system for hiring government employees and sought to eliminate the spoils system.

Overall, the assassination of Garfield and the subsequent passage of the Pendleton Act marked a turning point in the fight against corruption in government and the shift towards a more professional and efficient civil service system.