Politics and Reform

Two sides are even and there is not a way for one side to beat the other

Party of morality

Reformers

Abolition

Temperance

Party of Personal Liberty

Dominated the South

1876 and 1888

Presidents Hayes and Harrison win the

Electoral College but lose the popular vote

Has this happened recently?

The act of giving government jobs to

supporters of the winning party in an election

Also called the "Spoils System”

Republican reformers who wanted an end

to the patronage system

Republicans who supported patronage

Government jobs went to family and friends

President James Garfield is assassinated in 1881 in a train

station by a supporter who did not receive a job after the

election

“I am a Stalwart and Arthur is President now!!”

Was passed in reaction to Garfield's assassination

Jobs must be filled according to the rules made by a bipartisan committee (Civil Service Commission)

Candidates must take an examination (Civil Service Exam) to qualify

Gilded_Politics

Nationally, some politicians pushed for reform in the hiring system, which had been based on Patronage (giving jobs and favors to those who helped a candidate get elected). Reformers pushed for adoption of a merit system(hiring the most qualified for jobs). The Pendleton Civil Service Act of 1883 authorized a bipartisan commission to make appointments for federal jobs based on performance.

Applicants for

federal jobs

are required to

take a Civil

Service Exam

Rise of Monopolies

A monopoly is having exclusive control of a commodity

or service in a particular market, or a control that

makes possible the manipulation of prices.

Robber Barons

Examples:

Andrew Carnegie (steel) U.S. Steel

Milton S. Hershey (Chocolate)

J. P. Morgan (banking, finance, industrial consolidation)

John D. Rockefeller (oil) Standard Oil

Leland Stanford (railroads)

Cornelius Vanderbilt (railroads)

The 19th century term for a businessman or

banker who dominated a respective industry and

amassed huge personal fortunes, typically by

anti-competitive or unfair business practices.

Railroads gave rebates to large corporations because of their volume seemingly gouging smaller volume customers

Tariffs increased prices on manufactured goods and made it difficult for farmers to export

The federal government has the power to regulate rates for traffic between states

In response to Wabash v. Illinois, Congress passed a law that rates must be reasonable and just (fair)

It also made it illegal to charge higher rates for shorter hauls (prohibited discriminating against small markets)

It was ineffective because there was no enforcement of the law

The_Interstate_Commerce_Act

Made it illegal to combine a company into a

trust or conspire to restrain trade or commerce

The law was ineffective because it was vague

and the courts did not enforce it

The_Sherman_Antitrust_Act

Although the ICC and Sherman Antitrust

Act were ineffective they did set a

precedent for government regulation

Garfield's assassination leads to reforms

that are still in practice today