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    Note Oct 3, 2023

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    maggie253
    Late 19th century American politics was characterized by electoral stability and equal balance between the two major parties in Congress, which often led to stalemates. Voter turnout was high, around 78% on average, and party loyalty was strong, defined more by religion, race and ethnicity than policy positions. Political corruption was common, with politicians accepting bribes in exchange for appointments and jobs. The spoils system led to factional conflicts within parties as new presidents had to make around 100,000 appointments. Civil service reform began under President Arthur with the Pendleton Act, establishing competitive exams for some federal jobs rather than political patronage. Economic issues like tariffs increasingly divided the parties in the 1880s and 1890s.

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    Note Oct 3, 2023

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    6 views2 pages
    Late 19th century American politics was characterized by electoral stability and equal balance between the two major parties in Congress, which often led to stalemates. Voter turnout was high, around 78% on average, and party loyalty was strong, defined more by religion, race and ethnicity than policy positions. Political corruption was common, with politicians accepting bribes in exchange for appointments and jobs. The spoils system led to factional conflicts within parties as new presidents had to make around 100,000 appointments. Civil service reform began under President Arthur with the Pendleton Act, establishing competitive exams for some federal jobs rather than political patronage. Economic issues like tariffs increasingly divided the parties in the 1880s and 1890s.

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    Late 19th century American politics was characterized by electoral stability and equal balance between the two major parties in Congress, which often led to stalemates. Voter turnout was high, around 78% on average, and party loyalty was strong, defined more by religion, race and ethnicity than policy positions. Political corruption was common, with politicians accepting bribes in exchange for appointments and jobs. The spoils system led to factional conflicts within parties as new presidents had to make around 100,000 appointments. Civil service reform began under President Arthur with the Pendleton Act, establishing competitive exams for some federal jobs rather than political patronage. Economic issues like tariffs increasingly divided the parties in the 1880s and 1890s.

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    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    6 views2 pages

    Note Oct 3, 2023

    Uploaded by

    maggie253
    Late 19th century American politics was characterized by electoral stability and equal balance between the two major parties in Congress, which often led to stalemates. Voter turnout was high, around 78% on average, and party loyalty was strong, defined more by religion, race and ethnicity than policy positions. Political corruption was common, with politicians accepting bribes in exchange for appointments and jobs. The spoils system led to factional conflicts within parties as new presidents had to make around 100,000 appointments. Civil service reform began under President Arthur with the Pendleton Act, establishing competitive exams for some federal jobs rather than political patronage. Economic issues like tariffs increasingly divided the parties in the 1880s and 1890s.

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    Late 19th century politics had:

    Electoral stability!

    congressional balance was equal (caused stalemate)

    Large voter turnout (avarage 78%)

    Big Party loyalty

    • The parties rarely took distinctive positions on important issues. Party loyalties re ected religion,

    race, and ethnic di erences.

    Other than Grover Cleveland, politicians of the era oſten accepted bribes in exchange for

    appointments and jobs. Political cartoonists criticized this "spoils system" in newspapers.

    A new president had to make almost 100,000 appointments. This made factional con icts within a

    party unavoidable.

    Stalwarts were led by Roscoe Conkling

    The Half-Breeds, led by James Blaine favored political reform.

    Upon becoming president, to the dismay of Stalwarts, Arthur kept most of Gar eld's appointees in

    o ce and supported civil service reform. In 1883, Congress passed the 1st national civil service

    measure. Pendleton Act - required that some federal jobs be lled by competitive wriZen exams

    rather than by patronage.

    Cleveland was respected for his opposition to politicians, pressure groups, and Tammany Hall.

    Republicans endorsed Benjamin Harrison and Democrats re-nominated Cleveland. Harrison lost the

    popular vote but won the electoral vote. It was the 1st election since the Civil War to involve a clear

    question of economic di erences between the parties.

    July 1890 both houses of Congress passed the Sherman Antitrust Act.

    Republicans were more interested in the issue of the tari than the Sherman Anti-Trust Act.

    Representatives William McKinley and Nelson Aldrich (RI) draſted the highest protective tari ever

    proposed to Congress - the McKinley Tari which became law in October 1890. It was wildly
    unpopular among the voters. Voters saw the tari as a way to help corporations and hurt

    consumers. As a result, Republicans saw a major defeat in the 1890 mid-term elections.

    Democrats then controlled both houses. Harrison lost to Grover Cleveland in the 1892 election as

    well. In 1894, Democratic Senators William Wilson (WV) and Arthur Gorman (MD) passed the

    Wilson-Gorman Tari Dropped the McKinley tari to zero on iron ore, coal, lumber and wool,

    angering American producers. Protectionists in the Senate added over 600 amendments that

    e ectively reversed all reforms in the bill.

    To o set lost revenue kom high tari s the bill also imposed a 2% income tax. (Fewer

    than 2% of families had to pay it.)

    President Cleveland who campaigned on lowering the tari , was devastated at the weakened bill.

    He

    allowed the bill to pass, believing it was beZer than nothing.

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