In 1831, describing President Andrew Jackson's populating the federal government with his political cronies, Senator William Learned Marcy of New York commented, "To the victor belong the spoils." From his statement derives the phrase spoils system to describe the firing of public officeholders of the defeated political party and their replacement with loyalists of the new administration. Many presidents, including Jackson, argued that in order to implement their policies, they had to be able to appoint those who subscribed to their political views as rewards for their support.
Increasing public criticism of the spoils system prompted Congress to pass the Civil Service Reform Act, more commonly known as the Pendleton Act, in 1883 to reduce patronage. It established the principle of federal employment on the basis of open, competitive exams and created the bipartisan three-member Civil Service Commission, which operated until 1978. Initially, only about 10 percent of the positions in the federal civil service system were covered, but later laws and executive orders have extended coverage of the act to over 90 percent of all federal employees. This new system was called the merit system.
The civil service system as it has evolved today provides a powerful base for federal agencies and bureaucrats. Federal workers have tenure, and the leverage of politicians is reduced. The good part is that the spoils system was reduced (but not eliminated). The bad part, however, is that federal agencies can and often do take on a life of their own, making administrative law, passing judgments, and so on. With 90 percent of federal workers secure in their positions, some bureaucrats have been able to thwart reforms passed by legislators and wanted by the people. This often makes the bureaucracy the target of public criticism and citizen frustration.
—Adapted from O'Connor & Sabato, Essentials, p. 217
Objective
Step 2: Read "Modern Bureaucracy," adapted from the textbook The Essentials of American Government.
