Grade 8: U.S. History Liberty Middle School 1 Learning Objective: Activate Prior Knowledge Students will be able to describe how the spoils system affected democracy. Pair Share: Imagine you are picking players for a soccer team. Who do you pick first? Your friends or the best players ? Pair Share: Why would someone pick their friends over the best players?

Grade 8: U.S. History Liberty Middle School 2 Concept Development: Pair Share: What did Jackson’s opponents feel about the “kitchen cabinet”? Cabinet- President’s group of advisors Kitchen Cabinet- Jackson’s trusted friends who advised him, not the formal cabinet Civil Servant- government worker Spoils system- government jobs are given to people based on loyalty to the leader, not by experience Jackson did not rely only on his cabinet for advice. He made most of his decisions with the help of trusted friends and political supporters. Because these advisers were said to meet with him in the White House kitchen, they were called the “kitchen cabinet.” The rich men who had been used to influencing the government viewed the “kitchen cabinet” with deep suspicion. In their eyes, the men around the president were not the proper sort to be running the country. Pair Share: How is the “kitchen cabinet” different from the actual cabinet? Pair Share: Why would you want to surround yourself with people who think like you?

Grade 8: U.S. History Liberty Middle School 3 Concept Development: Cabinet- President’s group of advisors Kitchen Cabinet- Jackson’s trusted friends who advised him, not the formal cabinet Civil Servant- government worker Spoils system- government jobs are given to people based on loyalty to the leader, not by experience Jackson’s critics were even more upset by his decision to replace many Republican officeholders with loyal Democrats. Most of these civil servants viewed their posts as lifetime jobs. Jackson disagreed. Rotating people in office was more democratic than lifetime service, he said, because it gave more people a chance to serve their government. Jackson believed that after a few years in office, civil servants should go back to making a living as other people do. Jackson’s opponents called the practice of rewarding political supporters with government jobs the spoils system. This term came from the saying “to the victor belong the spoils [prizes] of war.” Pair Share: How is Jackson and the spoils system like picking your friends for a team rather than the best players? Pair Share: Define the spoils system in your own words. Pair Share: How did Jackson argue that rotating people in office was “more democratic” than keeping the same people in office? Do you agree?

Grade 8: U.S. History Liberty Middle School 4 Skill Development/Guided Practice: Pro (+)Con (-) 1.Read each statement carefully. 2.Decide whether the statements supports (pro) or does not support the spoils system (Con). 3.Add it to your graphic organizer. More people will have a chance at a government job. Only the most qualified people should work for the government. Loyalty should be rewarded. Just because someone supported you does not mean they will do a good job. Long government service can lead to experience. Long government service can lead to corruption.

Jacksonian Democracy EventPromotes Democracy Does Not Promote Democracy Evidence Jackson’s appeal to the common man in the election of The Spoils System Jackson vs. National Bank The Nullification Crisis The Indian Removal Act of 1830 Instructions: You will come back to this worksheet for each topic (LO) of this unit. This will help you to answer the proficient questions on the test. 1.Complete the concept development, read the text, and/or do the guided practice for that topic. 2.Circle evidence to show that the topic either promotes 1 or does not promote democracy. (Or both?) 3.Complete the chart. 1 promotes: supports or advances that idea Democracy: rule by the people.

Why does it matter? Relevance: Pair-Share: What other reasons might make it important to understand this issue today? We still struggle with who should run the government: people loyal to a party or the most experienced. Elections have consequences, good and bad. Advanced Topic Research What happened to the spoils system? Encyclopedia Article: OPINION ARTICLE: Do we have a Modern Spoils System?:

Exit Ticket/Closure: 1. Define the spoils system in your own words._____________________________________________ __________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ _______________________ Do you agree with it?________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ __________________