Reward loyal political supporters.
The presidency of Andrew Jackson is an era that has been thoroughly pondered upon by historians studying American history. His era was marked by controversial policies, which aimed at reconstruction and reform of the United States economy and streamlining the administration. However, the most important factor that characterised his presidency was the nature of his appointments to prominent political positions within the government that fulfilled two purposes- the rewarding of prominent members of his political party who worked relentlessly so that he could achieve political victory, and secondly, using their loyalty to consolidate his position and authority as President. This particular arrangement during President Jackson’s presidency came to be known as the ‘Spoils system’.
Further Explanation-
Despite President Jackson’s elaborate programs of restructuring and streamlining the functioning of American governmental agencies, he lost his popularity with the members of the Congress, and in large, the American public. The principles of the ‘Spoils system’ that emerged during his Presidency were grounded in the concept of personal connections over talent. Thus, in this case, any person could get appointed to high ranking offices of power and political position within the government, on the personal recommendation of the President. The supersession of talent by personal recommendation was also practiced by Jackson’s predecessors, namely, Thomas Jefferson and even George Washington, albeit in a much-limited way. Thus, it can be said, that during the presidency of Andrew Jackson, the concept of ‘Spoils system’ was institutionalized, which caused him the ire of the general American citizens. While the spoils system had its merits in keeping political allies close and presenting a strong, united front to the opposition, favoritism overruled talent, leading to inconsistency and lack of uniformity in the appointments to high governmental and administrative posts.
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Answer Details-
Grade- Graduation
Chapter- The United States in the Nineteenth Century
Subject- History
Keywords-
Institutionalization of the spoils system, favoritism, personal favor over talent, inconsistency in administration, reform and reconstruction, opposition.
