unit 1 powerpoint #8 (the gilded age politics and reform)
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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