Changes

===Civil Service Act===

===Civil Service Act===

:{{Main article|Pendleton Civil Service Reform Act}}

:{{Main article|Pendleton Civil Service Reform Act}}

The experience of Reconstruction among Democrats, and inexperience of a party at the crossroads among Republicans led to a general consensus to reform the spoils system. Democrats leaped at the prospect of controlling government offices without winning elections through a so-called "professional career bureaucracy." It seemed like a logical, "[[Progressive era|progressive]]" reform.

The experience of Reconstruction among Democrats, and inexperience of a party at the crossroads among Republicans led to a general consensus throughouf the nation to reform the spoils system. Democrats leaped at the prospect of controlling government offices without winning elections through a so-called "professional career bureaucracy." It seemed like a logical, "[[Progressive era|progressive]]" reform.

The immediate impetus for ending patronage and introducing civil service reform was the assassination of President [[James Garfield]] by a disgruntled low level campaign worker who was by-passed and felt Garfield owed him a job. The spoils system was rife with [[corruption]] and [[cronyism]]. When voters rebelled and elected the opposition, everyone in the political machine lost their government job. [[Teddy Roosevelt]]'s rise to national prominence as a "progressive" reformer began with implementing civil service reform and ending the patronage system in the New York City Police Department, and later as governor by implementing a state level civil service system.

The immediate impetus for ending patronage and introducing civil service reform was the assassination of President [[James Garfield]] by a disgruntled low level campaign worker who was by-passed and felt Garfield owed him a job. The spoils system was rife with [[corruption]] and [[cronyism]]. When voters rebelled and elected the opposition, everyone in the political machine lost their government job. [[Teddy Roosevelt]]'s rise to national prominence as a "progressive" reformer began with implementing civil service reform and ending the patronage system in the New York City Police Department, and later as governor by implementing a state level civil service system.