How did the spoils system affect President James Garfield and his successor Chester A. Arthur?&
The spoils system, also known as the patronage system, was a practice in which government positions were awarded to individuals based on their loyalty and support to a political party rather than their qualifications or merit. President James Garfield was a vocal opponent of the spoils system and sought to reform it by advocating for civil service reform.
However, Garfield's assassination in 1881 by a disgruntled office seeker who was upset over not receiving a political appointment highlighted the dangers of the spoils system. Garfield's successor, Chester A. Arthur, who had previously benefited from the spoils system as a New York politician, found himself in a difficult position after Garfield's assassination.
In response to Garfield's assassination and growing public outrage over the spoils system, Arthur eventually supported the Pendleton Civil Service Reform Act of 1883, which established a merit-based system for federal employment and diminished the influence of the spoils system. Arthur's support for civil service reform was a significant departure from his earlier support of the spoils system and helped to curb the corruption and abuse associated with it.