Final answer:
The 'Liberal Republicans' during Reconstruction sought to scale back federal involvement in the South and were sometimes called Fence Sitters. They were opposed to the 'Radical Republicans,' who wanted a robust federal role in Reconstruction. Later, the 'Mugwumps' emerged as a reformist faction within the Republican Party, advocating for civil service reform.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Republican Party during the Reconstruction era was characterized by internal divisions between different factions. The group that sought to reform the party and challenged the reliance on the federal government for Reconstruction in the South were known as the Liberal Republicans. They emerged in the 1870s, championing small government and individual liberties, following the principles of classical liberalism. While the Radical Republicans pushed for a more extensive reconstruction of the South and full rights for African Americans, the Liberal Republicans believed in limited federal involvement and suggested the Southern states should be allowed to decide their own fate. Despite their drive for reform, their opponents within the party sometimes derisively referred to them as Fence Sitters because of their opposition to some of the more forceful policies of the Grant administration.
The term Mugwumps was later used for a group that split from the Republicans over the issue of political reform and corruption. As the 1884 election approached, these reform-minded individuals took a stand against the spoils system and campaigned for civil service reform. They were significant players in the move towards a more merit-based system of political appointments.