Final answer:
Andrew Jackson used the spoils system to reward political supporters with government jobs, a practice which led to instances of corruption and inefficiency until its reform in the Pendleton Act of 1883.
Step-by-step explanation:
During his presidency, Andrew Jackson employed the spoils system, which is a 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 practice is also known under the term political patronage. Jackson applied the spoils system by extensively replacing incumbent officials with his own supporters. His administration notably swept employees from over nine hundred political offices, including many within the U.S. Postal Service, amounting to about 10 percent of all federal appointments at the time.
Jackson’s actions exemplified the spoils system and underlined the principle that “to the victor go the spoils,” where the incoming president used federal positions to reward political loyalty. However, this system also led to corruption and inefficiency, as the qualifications of appointees were often secondary to their loyalty. Whilst Jackson justified his actions as part of the democratic process and a defense against permanent government bureaucracy, the patronage system was criticized for replacing meritorious public service with one aimed at perpetuating a political party’s power.