What Is the Spoils System?
In the workforce, hiring an unqualified relative is generally considered unprofessional. Similarly, not properly evaluating a friend's work is also frowned upon.
One might think that anyone engaging in nepotism or hiring friends would at least be very careful not to compromise their job performance. Even so, a great deal of individuals find no difficulty in using their influence to position their loved ones and supporters in highly contested and important political offices.
What Is the Spoils System?
Political office is supposed to be awarded to candidates who have won voter support and trust because of their merit. However, many government jobs are handed out to people based on their proximity to people with decision-making power. This practice of appointing supporters, friends, political allies and even family is commonly referred to as the “spoils system.”
Understanding the Spoils System
The practice of patronage is leverage for elected officials who reward their supporters, relatives, and other loyal party members with their own position of influence. It is not uncommon, and neither is the chaos that ensues from such volatile political decision-making.
This begs the question: why would a representative appoint people to such important positions without concern for if their merit qualifies them to serve the public?
Party Control: Placing members of your party in influential positions ensures that your party’s policy platform is being advocated for by several officials and at various levels of public office. Secondly, with party support, these policy positions are also being favorably voted for by individuals placed in those political offices.
Streamlined Political Processes: After placing individuals of influence into key public offices, these individuals are more likely to vote on measures in alignment with your political agenda, meaning that with enough political support, items can be passed or denied quicker than if there were roughly equal populations of disagreeing parties.
Political Loyalty: Appointing individuals who are very close to you can strengthen support for your initiatives, policy choices and overall political agenda.
It is important to remember that getting measures passed quickly does not mean they are an honest reflection of what people want. Additionally, undoing a candidate's political actions could be a lengthy process, potentially involving reversing lasting damage.
The History of the Spoils System
The term dates back to the early 1800s, when Senator William Marcy coined it in his 1832 speech in defense of President Andrew Jackson's appointment decisions. Marcy states, “To the victor belong the spoils of the enemy.” In this regard, the spoils refer to the perceived right that President Jackson had to appoint people close to him in positions of influence and decision-making.
Today, the spoils system is still largely perpetuated by political leaders who work not-so-diligently to steamroll their own political agenda with little to no objections.
Examples of Political Patronage
President Andrew Jackson
Andrew Jackson is the prime example of the spoils system, as the term was created to describe his political appointments. Upon winning the election, Jackson used a substantial amount of his time using his political leverage in spite of his political adversary, John Adams. President Jackson almost immediately began reforming the actions of his predecessor. In order to do this, Jackson began dismissing high-ranking officials and replacing them with political allies and preferred candidates. His most detested appointment was Samuel Swartwout, who was appointed Collector of the Port of New York. Swartwout is now known primarily for his involvement in the Swartwout-Hoyt Scandal.
President Donald Trump
During his presidency, Donald Trump appointed several of his close friends and political allies to political offices, and he also gave positions to his relatives. Nepotism is not uncommon in political spaces, but its presence leads to the difficulty of managing a functional political system. Former President Trump’s daughter, Ivanka Trump, served as a Senior White House Advisor from 2017-2021. Similarly, her husband, Jared Kushner, served as a Senior White House Advisor while also serving as the Director of the Office of American Innovation.
The Pendleton Civil Service Act
After the assassination of President Andrew Garfield, there was growing public frustration with political patronage that led to more support for merit-based appointments. The Pendleton Civil Service Act, approved on January 16th, 1883, created a merit-based system for selecting government officials.
Introduced by Ohio Senator George Pendleton, this measure was a large step toward ensuring that political offices are held by people who have the skill and rapport to serve the public to the best of their ability. Ultimately, the Pendleton Civil Service Act of 1883 laid the framework for the United States Civil Service Commission, which in 1978 became the U.S. Office of Personnel Management, the Merit Systems Protection Board, and the Federal Labor Relations Authority.
The Spoils System and Modern American Politics
The spoils system has faced a significant amount of backlash because it is unable to ensure effective governance and also promotes inefficiency, a lack of professionalism, and even corruption. Throughout American history, representatives who used the spoiler effect to advance their political agendas have not had particularly successful legacies. Politicians who have relied on advancing with “the spoils of their enemy” have predominantly been met with the political chaos of their own making.
Although the spoils system is less of an issue now than in the early 1800s, it has resurfaced in recent years. Citizens are again concerned about appointing individuals who may not be the best fit for political office.
The Movement for Democracy Reform
The effort to eliminate political patronage and various other manifestations of political corruption is part of the larger movement for democracy reform. This grassroots political movement is driven by the desire to ensure that we can pass on a democracy to future generations that is stronger than the democracy we inherited. The movement advocates for laws that empower voters despite unprecedented obstacles and repressive tactics.
Ready to become part of the movement for political reform?
Join GoodParty.org’s national network of volunteers and voters who are passionate about fighting corruption and strengthening our democracy. You can get involved by joining GoodParty.org’s Discord community or meeting with a member of our team to talk about how you can make a difference.
Want to learn more about political corruption and electoral reform? Explore more resources related to electoral reform here.
Photo by Giorgio Trovato on Unsplash
