Final answer:
The spoils system, developed by President Andrew Jackson, is the practice of awarding government jobs based on political support rather than merit. It resulted in high political loyalty but also led to corruption, sparking criticism that eventually resulted in the Pendleton Act of 1883, establishing a merit-based civil service.
Step-by-step explanation:
The spoils system is a political practice where a political party, after winning an election, gives government jobs to its supporters, friends, and relatives as a reward for working toward victory, and as an incentive to keep working for the party.
This system was famously developed by President Andrew Jackson in the 1820s. The practice emerged as a way to ensure party loyalty and involved a reciprocal system where civil service positions were given based on political support rather than merit.
Criticism and Consequences
While the spoils system helped maintain political loyalty and high election turnout, it also led to rampant corruption and inefficiency. One notorious incident was in New York City, where a Democratic party appointee embezzled over $1 million. It was not until the Pendleton Act of 1883, which established the Civil Service Commission, that a systematic reversal began to transform the bureaucracy from a patronage-based system to a merit-based civil service.