OpenStax US History: Key Political Issues of the Gilded Age

Introduction

• Major political discussions during the Gilded Age:
  • Patronage
  • Tariffs
  • Gold and silver monetary standards

Patronage

• Spoils System vs. Civil Service
  • Spoils System (Patronage)
    • Appointing people based on loyalty, friendship, sometimes corruption.
    • Rewarding loyalists with government jobs.
  • Civil Service
    • Advocated for staffing based on merit and ability (tests).
    • Aimed to reform corruption.

Political Divisions

• Republican Party Splits
  • Stalwarts favored spoils system.
  • Half-Breeds favored civil service reform.
• Election of 1880
  • James Garfield (Republican, Half-Breed) elected President.
  • Vice President Chester Arthur (Republican, Stalwart).
  • Garfield assassinated by Charles Guiteau, a stalwart supporter.
  • Arthur surprised many by supporting civil service reform with the Pendleton Civil Service Act (10% of positions via tests).

Tariffs

• Definition: Tax on imported goods.
• High Tariffs
  • Favored by businesses (e.g., Andrew Carnegie) to reduce foreign competition.
• Low Tariffs
  • Favored by consumers for cheaper goods.

Political Impact

• Mugwumps
  • Faction of Republican party that supported Democrat Grover Cleveland.
  • Played a crucial role in Cleveland's election, the first Democratic president since the Civil War.
  • Supported reform-minded policies.
  • Interstate Commerce Act of 1887 targeted railroad companies for price gouging.
    • First federal regulatory board in U.S. history.

Forgettable Presidents

• Weak leadership during this period referred to as "forgettable presidents."
• Benjamin Harrison (Republican)
  • McKinley Tariff: Highest tariff until that time, favored by businesses.
  • Sherman Antitrust Act: Anti-monopoly law, largely ineffective.

Gold vs. Silver

• Debate over monetary system backing: gold only or gold and silver.
• Gold Standard
  • Supported by businesses, banks, finance.
• Gold and Silver Standard
  • Supported by farmers and consumers.
  • More money in circulation benefits those with less money.
• Sherman Silver Purchase Act: Allowed silver to count towards the monetary system, supported by pro-silver advocates.