Other
Essay Plan - ‘Gilded Age Presidents have been unjustly remembered as dull and ineffective’.
- Module
- US History
- Institution
- AQA
An essay plan for Gilded Age politics. Provides 4 points and counterpoints.
[Show more]
Seller
Follow
Content preview
‘Gilded Age Presidents have been unjustly remembered as dull and ineffective’. Towhat extent do you agree with this view?
Hayes
FOR:
➢ Couldn’t convince Congress to outlaw the spoils system.
➢ He set the ball rolling for further civil service reform, especially after sacking Arthur for
refusing to obey his orders.
➢ The undoing of reconstruction under Hayes due to the 1887 Compromise.
AGAINST:
➢ Issued an executive order that forbade federal officers from being required to make campaign
contributions or taking part in any party politics.
➢ Hayes appointed Carl Shurz as Secretary of Interior (one of the best-known advocates for
reform) and William M. Evarts as Secretary of State to lead a special cabinet committee to
draw up new federal appointment rules.
➢ He was determined to reform the spoils system (officeholders selected on the basis of party
loyalty rather than administrative competence).
Garfield
FOR:
➢ Supported the reform of the civil service, believed the spoils system was damaging the
presidency.
➢ Strengthened federal authority over the New York Customs House.
➢ Continued the work of his predecessor Hayes in the reform of the Post Office. Garfield forced
the resignation of Thomas J. Brady (one of the ringleaders of the Post Office corruption
scandal) in 1883.
➢ His death greatly increased the demand for and support for further civil service reform.
AGAINST:
➢ Failed to outlaw the spoils system.
Arthur
FOR:
➢ Continued the civil service reform of his predecessors.
➢ Passed the Pendleton Act of 1883 which intended to begin the professional handling of the
civil service. It also called for a merit system for promotion within services.
➢ Created the first Civil Service Commission - was the beginning of the end of the spoils
system.
➢ Tariff Act of 1883 - reduced tariffs by an average of 1.47% (after Congress tried to raise
them).
➢ Arthur signed a revised bill of the Chinese Exclusion Act that was not as harsh.
AGAINST:
➢ Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 was passed by Congress despite Arthur’s veto.
Cleveland
FOR:
➢ Continued to reform the civil service.
➢ Cleveland announced that he would not fire any Republican that was doing his job well and
would not appoint anyone solely on the basis of party service.
➢ Used his appointment powers to reduce the number of federal employees.
AGAINST:
➢ Believed in a very limited role for the government.
➢ Vetoed hundreds of pension bills for American Civil War veterans.
The benefits of buying summaries with Stuvia:
Guaranteed quality through customer reviews
Stuvia customers have reviewed more than 700,000 summaries. This how you know that you are buying the best documents.
Quick and easy check-out
You can quickly pay through credit card for the summaries. There is no membership needed.
Focus on what matters
Your fellow students write the study notes themselves, which is why the documents are always reliable and up-to-date. This ensures you quickly get to the core!
Frequently asked questions
What do I get when I buy this document?
You get a PDF, available immediately after your purchase. The purchased document is accessible anytime, anywhere and indefinitely through your profile.
Satisfaction guarantee: how does it work?
Our satisfaction guarantee ensures that you always find a study document that suits you well. You fill out a form, and our customer service team takes care of the rest.
Who am I buying these notes from?
Stuvia is a marketplace, so you are not buying this document from us, but from seller surathsanwal. Stuvia facilitates payment to the seller.
Will I be stuck with a subscription?
No, you only buy these notes for £7.69. You're not tied to anything after your purchase.
Can Stuvia be trusted?
4.6 stars on Google & Trustpilot (+1000 reviews)
70055 documents were sold in the last 30 days
Founded in 2010, the go-to place to buy revision notes and other study material for 14 years now