The spoils system, in which government jobs were awarded based on political loyalty rather than merit, played a significant role in the assassination of President James Garfield in 1881. Garfield's assassin, Charles Guiteau, was a disillusioned office-seeker who believed he was entitled to a foreign service position as a reward for his support of Garfield. Following Garfield's death, his successor Chester A. Arthur, who had benefitted from the spoils system earlier in his career, shocked the political establishment by advocating for civil service reform to eliminate corruption and ensure that government positions were filled based on qualifications rather than political connections. This shift in policy ultimately led to the passage of the Pendleton Civil Service Reform Act in 1883.
