What was the fundamental goal of the 'Spoils System' as practiced by Andrew Jackson?
Show answer and explanation
Correct answer: To reward political supporters with government jobs to ensure party loyalty
Jackson viewed 'rotation in office' as a way to democratize government and prevent a permanent entrenched bureaucracy. In practice, it allowed him to replace federal employees with his own loyal partisans, a hallmark of the new mass-party politics.
Keep practicing
More Jacksonian Democracy and Populism questions
- The Nullification Crisis of 1832-1833 was sparked by Southern opposition to which federal policy?
- Andrew Jackson's veto of the Maysville Road Bill (1830) demonstrated his belief that:
- In the case Worcester v. Georgia (1832), the Supreme Court ruled that:
- The primary cause of the 'Bank War' was Andrew Jackson's belief that the Second Bank of the United States:
- The Whig Party was primarily formed in the 1830s as a coalition to oppose:
- The 'Specie Circular' (1836) was an executive order that required: