SAQ 2

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Tarrant County College, Fort Worth *

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1302-86022

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Political Science

Date

Apr 3, 2024

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pdf

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2

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SAQ 2 1. How did the spoils system negatively impact the way the government operated? Why and how did it ultimately change? The spoils system had a number of detrimental effects on how the government ran. It promoted unfit people to important government jobs more so because of their political allegiance than because of their qualifications or ability. This led to a lack of competence in important positions, corruption, and inefficiency because government jobs were frequently given out as incentives for endorsing a specific political party or candidate. In the end, the spoils system was altered in response to mounting public discontent and the awareness of its negative consequences on governance. In the United States, civil service reform gained traction in the late 19th century and resulted in the Pendleton Civil Service Reform Act of 1883. This act forbade political contributions from federal employees and instituted competitive exams, establishing a merit-based system for federal employment. The main goals of the transition to a merit-based civil service were to increase government professionalism and efficiency. 2. What were the key political issues that voters faced during the Gilded Age? During the gilded age, voters had to deal with a number of important political issues, including monopolies and trusts, currency and banking, labor unrest, and economic inequality. The working class and the wealthy elite were completely divided as a result of the quick industrialization and economic expansion. Labor strikes and protests were sparked by the unfavorable working conditions, low pay, and long hours that employees faced. Concerns were raised regarding the influence of powerful industrialists' monopolies and trusts on the political and economic spheres. The political discourse revolved around disagreements regarding the gold and silver standard, along with the function of banks. 3. What was the Grange Movement and how/why did it ultimately morph into the Populist Movement? In the late 1800s, a group of farmers called the Grange Movement was founded to promote agricultural interests. It aimed to address the financial difficulties farmers faced, such as exorbitant transportation expenses and unethical business practices. In the 1890s, as farmers continued to suffer from financial hardships, the Grange Movement evolved into the Populist Movement. When the People's Party, also known as the Populist Party, was founded in 1892, it stood for a larger alliance of unsatisfied laborers and farmers. The change came about as the movement began to address more general economic and social issues impacting the average person, rather than merely agrarian concerns. 4. What issues did the Populist Party focus on? Why did it ultimately disappear?
The Populist Party was centered around an agenda known as the Omaha Platform, which contained demands for government ownership of important industries like railroads and telegraphs, direct senatorial election, graduated income taxation, and free coinage of silver to help debtors and fight deflation.The Populist Party encountered difficulties in sustaining its momentum as a result of both external and internal pressures. Later, a few of its demands found their way into the platforms of significant political parties, most notably the Democratic Party. The Populist Party progressively lost ground, and by the turn of the 20th century, a lot of its principles had been incorporated into the political mainstream, which helped to eliminate the party as a separate political entity.
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