The pendleton act is important because

The creation of the Pendleton Act in 1883 marked a new era for the US government. It changed how politicians gained access to public office and became a symbol of a non-corrupt government—moments like these are favorites on the APUSH exam. This AP® US History study guide follows the reasons the Pendleton Law came into being and details the lasting effect it had on American history—in other words, everything you need to know to help you pass the APUSH exam.

Going back to the earliest days of the United States, the “system of spoils” had long characterized how civil service jobs were filled. Many viewed this as a serious problem, leading to schemes full of bribes and cronyism throughout the federal and state governments.

The Pendleton Act, however, was created to put an end to what was turning out to be a system of corruption. Established in 1883, this federal law overhauled how federal civil employees would gain access to their jobs, making it a requirement for potential government employees to take part in a competitive application process for potential employment.

The Assassination of the President and the Pendleton Act

On January 16, 1883, Congress passed the Civil Service Reform Act, or what is otherwise known as the Pendleton Act, named after Senator George H. Pendleton, who helped to push the law through Congress.

Calls for reform had been occurring in political circles for quite some time, with little resolution. Support for a new measure, however, emerged out of a terrible event: the assassination of President James Garfield. The assassin, Charles Guiteau shot and killed the president in 1881 because he felt that the president owed him a federal job.

This unfortunate event thrust what was called the “spoils system” into the spotlight. Even Garfield’s successor, President Chester A. Arthur, began to support changes in how officials gained access to political office. But Guiteau had not been the first person in US history to believe that he was entitled to a government job.

The “Spoils System”

The “spoils system” had been a part of American politics since the very beginning. Andrew Jackson’s presidency, in particular, became famous for making use of this practice throughout his years in office.

When he was elected, Jackson fired any federal employee that he didn’t like or that may have held a political belief that butted up against his. He then hired people that were more in tune with his political ideals. Jackson believed that he was reforming the federal government by doing this, but his opponents said that handing out federal jobs to allies was an act of corruption. Because of this practice, people commonly asked the president to provide them with a federal job, whether he knew them or not.

This was also taking place at the state and city level as well, often leading to bribes for office. New York City became famous for this when William “Boss” Tweed was charged with political corruption for selling civil service jobs to the highest bidder and using the power to appoint positions to amass a powerful political empire. Although this took place at a smaller level, many people believed that a similar system was taking place at the federal level, and so, demanded change.

For the APUSH exam, you’re going to want to remember the Pendleton Act as a product of the “spoils system.” This is a big moment for the growth and legitimization of the federal government—a topic that is often asked about in the exam. The important bit to remember here is that before the 1883 act, Americans constantly complained about corruption and bribes for political office—although, those who bought themselves into politics didn’t complain all that much!

The Civil Service Reform Act

Since the Pendleton Act applied only to federal employees, it could not cover spoils systems like those taking of New York City. As a result, it initially only covered somewhere around 10 percent of the potential jobs that existed in the government. This led to a series of revisions over the years and by the end of the nineteenth century, nearly every federal civil service job was covered under the act.

As a way to enforce and regulate the act, the law also created the United States Civil Service Commission that was in charge of determining which jobs were covered and the requirements that each federal employee must have to get a job. It also provided the president the power to choose which positions were subject to the rules and regulations.

Remember, the late nineteenth century was an era of federal growth and seen as a more legit institution. Viewing the Pendleton Act in these terms will help you on the APUSH exam since it puts it into historical context. Like the rest of the era, it created a new arm of the government and showed was meant to show that the growth of federal power is a good thing.

Unintended Consequences

While corruption in federal job placement did go down, the act itself could not regulate any bribery schemes taking place in cities or states. But there were a couple of unintended consequences that emerged from the creation of this law.

First, President Arthur gained several political enemies. Several of the senators from both parties had started their political careers in the spoils system. They didn’t want to see it end created headaches for the remainder of Arthur’s presidency.

Second, political parties in the United States saw a significant drop in their bank accounts since they could no longer sell off federal jobs. Increasingly, the parties started to turn to businesses as a way to garner political power and monetary support in ways they had never done in the past. 

The Pendleton Act and the APUSH Exam

The Pendleton Act took place at a time of significant federal reform. The size and power of the federal government expanded rapidly at the end of the nineteenth century. Part of the reason for this was to end the corrupt relationship that existed between wealthy individuals, businesses, and the government itself. The Pendleton Act can be seen alongside this era in US history, as a symbol of civil service reform that remains relatively intact up to today.

It is this context that is most important to remember when you’re studying for the AP® US History exam. There have been questions from previous exams that center on a very similar theme and era. Here is a possible question that might show up on a future APUSH exam (inspired by a real question that was asked about the Sherman Antitrust Act of 1890):

Which of the following is true of the Pendleton Act of 1883?

a) It made campaign contributions from business illegal.

b) It ended the “spoils system” in cities and states across the country.

c) It resulted in the creation of the United States Civil Service Commission

d) It forced the president to approve every person hired in the civil service sector.

e) It came about as a response to President Abraham Lincoln’s assassination by John Wilkes Booth.

The answer, as you should know, is C. The Pendleton Act not only effectively eliminated the “spoils system” from federal civil service jobs, but joined a number of late-nineteenth century acts, adding to the size of the federal government.

This AP® US History Crash Course has shown how the Pendleton Act fits into larger historical narratives of the time. Studying the act in this way will help to guarantee you understand not only this term but this era in US history, in general. This is the key to a successful AP® US History exam. Good luck!

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What was the Pendleton Act and why was it important quizlet?

What is the Pendleton Act and why did it come to life?