Question

The Pendleton Act provided that Federal government jobs be awarded on the basis of merit instead of being a reward for political support. Which of these had the MOST bearing on the passage of this legislation?

A) President Theodore Roosevelt demanded civil service reform as part of his "Square Deal" policies.
B) Muck-raking journalist like Ida Tarbell and Upton Sinclair raised massive public support for the legislation.
C) In 1881, a disgruntled office-seeker assassinated President James Garfield after being rejected for an ambassadorship.
D) Spanish operatives were accused of planting a bomb on the U.S.S. Maine in Havana harbor and killing hundred of sailors.

Answer 1

C) The assassination of President James Garfield by a disappointed office seeker in 1881 had the most bearing on the passage of the Pendleton Act, which established merit-based hiring for Federal government jobs.

Step-by-step explanation:

The Pendleton Act, also known as the Civil Service Reform Act of 1883, mandated that Federal government jobs should be awarded based on merit rather than political affiliation or support. The most significant event influencing the passage of this legislation was C) the assassination of President James Garfield in 1881 by a disgruntled office-seeker who was rejected for an ambassadorship.

This event highlighted the corruption and problems of the patronage system and spurred the push for civil service reform, leading to the enactment of the Pendleton Act. The Act established the Civil Service Commission, which was responsible for ensuring that selection, retention, and promotion practices within the federal government were based on merit, competitive examinations, and qualifications rather than political patronage.