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7.3 POLITICS IN THE GILDED AGE

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AMERICAN HISTORY II04 FEBRUARY 2014MR. HOOD

7.3 POLITICS IN THE GILDED AGE

AMERICAN HISTORY II04 FEBRUARY 2014MR. HOOD`S NOTES

KEY IDEA

LOCAL AND NATIONAL POLITICAL CORRUPTION IN THE 19TH CENTURY

LED TO CALLS FOR REFORM

WHY IT MATTERS NOW

POLITICAL REFORMS PAVED THE WAY FOR A MORE HONEST AND

EFFICIENT GOVERNMENT IN THE 20TH CENTURY AND BEYOND

OBJECTIVE 1EXPLAIN THE ROLE OF

THE POLITICAL MACHINES AND POLITICAL BOSSES

CITIES FACED RAPID GROWTH

UNDER INEFFICIENT GOVERNMENTS

INFLUENCED BY DOG-EAT-DOG

SOCIAL DARWINISM

EMERGENCE OF NEW POLITICAL

STRUCTURE

THE POLITICAL MACHINE

POLITICAL MACHINE: ORGANIZED GROUP THAT CONTROLLED

POLITICAL PARTY

SERVICES OFFERED TO VOTERS +

BUSINESSES

IN EXCHANGE FOR MONEY AND

SUPPORT

POLITICAL MACHINE CONTROLLED

BY A CITY BOSS

CITY BOSS CONTROLLED ACCESS TO JOBS, BUSINESSES, +

LICENSES

EVEN INFLUENCED COURTS

CITY BOSS DRIVEN BY MONEY AND

POWER

CITY BOSS ALSO DRIVEN BY VOTERS`

LOYALTY

HAD TO SOLVING URBAN

PROBLEMS

LIKE BUILDING PARKS, SCHOOLS +

HOSPITALS

+ SUPPORTING

NEW BUSINESSES

BOSS COULD WIN SUPPORT + EXTEND

INFLUENCE

MANY POLITICIANS WERE

IMMIGRANTS

IMMIGRANTS STARTED AT THE

BOTTOM AND WORKED THEIR WAY UP

IMMIGRANT POLITICANS HELPED THEIR OWN +

RECEIVED VOTES

OBJECTIVE 2DESCRIBE HOW SOME

POLITICIANS´ GREED AND FRAUD COST TAXPAYERS MILLIONS OF DOLLARS

MANY POLITICAL BOSSES FELL VICTIM TO CORRUPTION

WHEN LOYALTY OF

VOTERS WAS NOT ENOUGH

SOME POLITICAL

MACHINES TURNED TO FRAUD

CREATED FAKE VOTERS TO WIN

ELECTIONS

BOSSES TURNED TO GRAFT

GRAFT: ILLEGAL USE OF POLITICAL INFLUENCE FOR

PERSONAL GAIN

FOR EXAMPLE, HELPING PEOPLE

FIND WORK

OR KICK-BACKSILLEGAL PAYMENTS FOR

SERVICES

FAVORS FOR CASH, BRIBES

+ SHADY DEALINGS

EASY AS POLICE RARELY

INTERFERED

POLICE HIRED AND FIRED BY POLITICAL

BOSS

POLITICANS SOON EXPOSED PUBLIC WAS

OUTRAGED

POLITICAL CORRUPTION BECAME A

NATIONAL ISSUE

OBJECTIVE 3DESCRIBE THE

MEASURES TAKEN TO REFORM THE SPOILS

SYSTEM

DESIRE FOR POWER + MONEY IN

CITIES

ALSO INFECTED NATIONAL POLITICS

PATRONAGE A PROBLEM

PATRONAGE : GIVING GOVERNMENT JOBS TO THOSE WHO HELPED IN AN

ELECTION

ALSO KNOWN AS THE SPOILS

SYSTEM

BUT MANY EMPLOYEES NOT

QUALIFIED

REFORMERS PUSHED FOR A

MERIT SYSTEM

JOBS IN THE CIVIL SERVICE

OR GOVERNMENT ADMINISTRATION

SHOULD BE FOR THE MOST QUALIFIED

PERSONS

PRESIDENT RUTHERFORD B.

HAYES PUSHED FOR REFORM

PRESIDENT JAMES A. GARFIELD

ALSO PUSHED FOR REFORM

REFORM BREAKTHROUGH MADE BY

PRESIDENT CHESTER A. ARTHUR

PENDLETON CIVIL SERVICE ACT 1883

JOBS GIVEN ON MERIT

OBJECTIVE 4DESCRIBE THE

MEASURES TAKEN TO REFORM THE SPOILS

SYSTEM AND CORRUPTION

EMPLOYEES NO LONGER SOURCE OF CAMPAIGN

CONTRIBUTIONS

POLITICIANS TURNED TO

WEALTHY BUSINESS OWNERS INSTEAD

ALLIANCE BETWEEN GOVERNMENT + BIG BUSINESS STRONGER THAN

EVER

BUT BIG BUSINESSES EXPECTED FAVORS IN RETURN

FOR SUPPORT

PRESIDENT GROVER CLEVELAND LOST BIG BUSINESS SUPPORT

PRESIDENT BENJAMIN HARRIS

GAINED BIG BUSINESS SUPPORT

IN EASY WORDS, CAMPAIGNS WON + LOST

THANKS TO BIG BUSINESS