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Politics, Immigration, and Urban Life. Politics in the Gilded Age. Politics in the Gilded Age. What is meant by the term Gilded Age?. Politics in the Gilded Age. What is meant by the term Gilded Age? A term coined by the author, Mark Twain. Politics in the Gilded Age.
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Politics in the Gilded Age What is meant by the term Gilded Age?
Politics in the Gilded Age What is meant by the term Gilded Age? • A term coined by the author, Mark Twain.
Politics in the Gilded Age What is meant by the term Gilded Age? • “gilded” means covered with a thin layer of gold.
Politics in the Gilded Age The term Gilded Age is meant to describe a period in our country’s history that: Economically, there was a thin layer of “prosperity,” while at the same time, there was much poverty and corruption.
Politics in the Gilded Age The Gilded Age is: The period of U.S. History which directly follows Reconstruction (late 1800s to the early 1900s).
Politics in the Gilded Age Economic Considerations
Politics in the Gilded Age • Laissez-faire - Roughly translates into “free market.” • In a “truly free” market economy, government is absent from the market. • Advocates of laissez-faire believe that the market regulates itself, and therefore government regulation or intervention is not necessary.
Politics in the Gilded Age Advocates of laissez-faire tend to believe in the concept of Social Darwinism. Under this philosophy, • The strongest and most capable businesses will survive and thrive. and… • Weaker businesses will fade and ultimately disappear.
Politics in the Gilded Age Key Terms & Events: import tariff - a tax placed on foreign goods. It is sometimes called a “protective” tariff because its purpose is to protect American industry. import, or “protective tariffs” place taxes on lesser expensive foreign made goods.
Politics in the Gilded Age Key Terms & Events: subsidy- a payment made by government to encourage the development and manufacture of certain products or industries.
Politics in the Gilded Age Key Terms & Events: subsidy - a payment made by government to encourage the development and manufacture of certain products or industries. • Unfortunately, during the gilded age, subsidies were sometimes abused by corrupt individuals.
Politics in the Gilded Age Key Terms & Events: Subsidy Case Study: Credit Mobilier
Politics in the Gilded Age Key Terms & Events: Subsidy Case Study: Credit Mobilier Student Activity: read, answer questions & discuss the case.
Politics in the Gilded Age Key Terms & Events: rebates - a practice used by the railroads which involved partial refunds to favored customers.
Politics in the Gilded Age Key Terms & Events: Supreme Court Case Study: Munn v. Illinois - 1877 Student Activity: read, discuss the case, answer questions.
Politics in the Gilded Age Key Terms & Events: The Spoils System- describes how elected officials appointed friends and supporters to government jobs, regardless of their qualifications. • As the result of “spoils,” government became packed full of unqualified, dishonest employees.
Politics in the Gilded Age Key Terms & Events: patronage - the activity of distributing or appointing government positions as a form of reward to those who have contributed to political campaigns, or helped politicians in one way or another.
Politics in the Gilded Age Key Terms & Events: civil service - describes the portion of government that is made up of non-elected workers.
Politics in the Gilded Age Key Terms & Events: civil service - describes the portion of government that is made up of non-elected workers. • During the gilded age, as the result of “patronage,” there were many unqualified individuals working in civil service jobs.
Politics in the Gilded Age an interesting side note: • After his election as president, in 1877, Rutherford B. Hayes refused to use the patronage system. • He began appointing qualified individuals to government positions. • By his actions, he took a first step towards the reform of the civil service system.
Politics in the Gilded Age • James Garfield was elected president in 1880. • He was assassinated in 1881 by a “stalwart,” an individual in favor of the continuation of the patronage system. • The assassination of Garfield thrust Chester A. Arthur into the presidency.
Politics in the Gilded Age • Although Arthur had previously benefited from patronage, once he became president, he pushed to put an end to this practice. • He asked Congress to come up with a plan to reform the patronage system. • The plan that Congress came up with was the Pendleton Civil Service Act.
Politics in the Gilded Age Key Terms & Events: Pendleton Civil Service Act - response to corruption and incompetence in civil service as the result of spoils and patronage. • It was established in 1883.
Politics in the Gilded Age Key Terms & Events: Key elements of the Pendleton Civil Service Act: • A Civil Service Commission was created. • It Established job classifications. • A testing system for potential applicants.
Politics in the Gilded Age Key Terms & Events: Key elements of the Pendleton Civil Service Act: • Federal employees would no longer be coerced into making campaign contributions. • Federal civil service workers would no longer be able to be fired for political reasons.
