Jackson's Spoils System: Legal Or Not?

Andrew Jackson's inauguration in 1829 marked the beginning of the spoils system, a political patronage system in which the winning political party appoints its supporters, friends, and relatives to government jobs. While Jackson did not invent the spoils system, he was the first president in 28 years to transition the presidency from one party to another, and he made unprecedented numbers of appointments and removals. Jackson's supporters saw this as a necessary reform to the federal government, but his opponents viewed it as a corrupt use of political patronage.

Jackson's supporters believed it was a necessary reform

Jackson's supporters believed that the spoils system was a necessary reform to the federal government. Jackson's supporters had been promised government jobs in exchange for their political support. Jackson's administration replaced nearly 10% of federal workers with supporters of the Democratic Party.

The spoils system was also seen as a way to keep party members engaged in the political process by presenting more tangible rewards for their support. Once the candidate was in office, they needed support to turn their campaign promises into policy. It was argued that by appointing supporters to all levels of government work, there would be vigorous implementation of those policies.

Jackson's supporters also believed that the spoils system was necessary to remove people from federal jobs who were opposed to Jackson and his policies. Jackson was suspicious of his political opponents and was angry at his predecessor, John Quincy Adams. Jackson believed that the federal government was full of people who were opposed to him. When Jackson felt that some of his initiatives were being blocked, he became incensed. His solution was to come up with an official program to remove people from federal jobs and replace them with employees considered loyal to his administration.

Jackson's supporters also believed that the spoils system was necessary to create a more efficient system of government. The spoils system aimed to create a chain of command of public employees who all obeyed the higher entities of government. Jackson's supporters believed that this would help to enact the agenda that he had been elected to carry out.

Jackson's opponents believed it was a corrupt practice

Jackson's spoils system was vehemently opposed by his political rivals, who viewed it as a corrupt practice. Jackson's opponents believed that the spoils system was a corrupt use of political patronage, and the term spoils system was intended to be a derogatory nickname.

Jackson's policy of replacing federal employees was bitterly denounced by his political opponents. They were, however, powerless to fight against it. Jackson's opponents cited Senator William L. Marcy's phrase, "to the victor belong the spoils", as an example of blatant corruption that rewarded political supporters with federal jobs.

The spoils system was criticised for leading to appointments that were so political that many people were appointed to positions for which they were unqualified. Additionally, constant turnover in even local-level positions as a result of national presidential elections created extreme inefficiency.

The spoils system was also criticised for being neither new nor democratic. During his first 18 months in office, Jackson replaced fewer than 1,000 of the nation's 10,000 civil servants on political grounds, and fewer than 20% of federal officeholders were removed during his administration. Furthermore, many of the men Jackson appointed to office had backgrounds of wealth and social eminence.

Jackson's removals were a surprise

In total, Jackson removed 919 officials from government positions, amounting to nearly 10% of all government postings. This included 423 postmasters, most with extensive records of good service. Jackson's removals were part of an official program to remove people from federal jobs and replace them with employees considered loyal to his administration. Jackson's removals were defended by his supporters, who argued that it was a welcome change and that the federal government was full of people who were opposed to him.

Jackson's removals were controversial and bitterly denounced by his political opponents, who saw them as a corrupt use of political patronage. Jackson's removals were also criticised for being inefficient, as many people were appointed to positions for which they were unqualified.

Jackson's appointments were unqualified

Andrew Jackson's appointments were unqualified. Jackson's policy of replacing federal employees was bitterly denounced by his political opponents, who considered his method to be a corrupt use of political patronage. Jackson's appointments were not based on merit but on political loyalty. The Spoils System, as it came to be known, was a system where government jobs at all levels were given to political supporters. This meant that many people were appointed to positions for which they were unqualified.

Jackson's supporters portrayed his policy as a necessary and overdue effort to reform the federal government. They argued that it was more effective to replace government workers with individuals who supported the goals of the administration. However, Jackson's opponents pointed to the inefficiency and corruption of politically appointed federal workers and managers. They argued that appointments became so political that many people were appointed to positions for which they were unqualified.

Jackson's administration aimed to create a more efficient system where the chain of command of public employees obeyed the higher entities of the government. However, the frequent changes in organisational leadership that were not based on job performance created great inefficiencies in the system. One of the most notorious figures appointed under the Jackson administration was Samuel Swartwout, who embezzled over one million dollars before fleeing the country.

Jackson's policy of replacing federal employees was not unique. Other administrations, going back to that of George Washington, had hired loyalists. However, under Jackson, the purging of people thought to be political opponents became official policy. Jackson's supporters had been promised government jobs in exchange for political support, and these promises were honoured when Jackson assumed power. At the beginning of Jackson's administration, 919 officials were removed from government positions, amounting to nearly 10% of all government postings.

While Jackson's policy of replacing federal employees may have been well-intentioned, it ultimately led to inefficiency and corruption. The Spoils System was criticised for decades, and it was not until the assassination of President James Garfield by a disappointed office seeker in 1881 that calls for civil service reform intensified, leading to the Pendleton Civil Service Reform Act, which created civil servants who were not hired or fired as a result of politics.

Jackson's actions were not illegal

Jackson's supporters viewed his actions as a necessary and long-overdue reform of the federal government. They believed that federal jobs should be rotated among party supporters to ensure that the government remained responsive to the citizenry and to prevent the development of a class of corrupt civil servants. Jackson himself claimed that he was purging corruption, laxity, and arrogance that came with long tenure in office.

Furthermore, Jackson's actions were in line with the broader anti-elitist sentiment of the time. He represented a belief in the ability of voters to make the best choices for themselves, rather than relying on unelected institutions like the Supreme Court. By changing the personnel of the federal government, Jackson aimed to create a chain of command that supported the agenda he had been elected to enact.

While Jackson's actions may have been controversial and denounced as corrupt by his opponents, they were not illegal. The spoils system was a widely accepted practice in American politics at the time, and Jackson was simply utilising it to pursue his political goals.

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