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

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
 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
 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
 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.
Politics in the Gilded Age

The End