Final answer:
Patronage via the spoils system caused issues like corruption, inefficiency, and the placement of unqualified personnel in government roles, leading to the Pendleton Act of 1883 which established a merit-based civil service.
Step-by-step explanation:
Problems that arose as a result of patronage, specifically within the US government's past use of the spoils system, were numerous. Prior to the implementation of civil service reform legislation, political patronage created a system in which government jobs were awarded based on loyalty rather than merit. It was reciprocal: those aspiring to civil service positions would pledge political loyalty to a patron for a desired job.
The spoils system led to inefficiency, corruption, and a lack of merit-based advancement. Government resources and power were channeled into perpetuating this reward system. Significant issues emerged, such as underqualified individuals occupying important roles and contributing to a bureaucratic system that functioned to benefit those in power rather than the public good. The eventual assassination of President Garfield by a disenfranchised office seeker led to the Pendleton Act of 1883, which began the transition towards a merit-based civil service system, aiming to separate job security from political tides and clean up the federal government.