Politics in the Gilded Age Objective: I can explain how local and national political corruption in the 19th century led to calls for reform.

Gilded Age Mark Twain called the late 19th century the Gilded Age because the period was glittering on the surface, but corrupt underneath. Meaning? This Age was marked by inequality meaning an unequal distribution of wealth therefore a huge gap between the few rich and many poor. This left a very small middle class. Politics were corrupt meaning government was controlled by big business and the wealthy. Mark Twain

Gilded Age During this age there was an unofficial competition among the wealthy to see who could live the grandest lifestyle. This was called Conspicuous Consumption. 10% of the population controlled 90% of the nations wealth. Dangerous? Big Business, Trusts, Monopolies, and the wealthy ruled the nation.

Political Machines A Political machine was an unofficial organization designed to keep a certain party or group in power and usually was headed by a single city boss. The Machine was organized into three elements. First, there were local precinct workers and captains, who tried to gain voter’s support on a city block or in a neighborhood and who reported to a ward boss or party loyalists.

Political Machine Second, was the ward boss or party loyalists who helped the poor and gained their votes by doing favors or providing services. At the top was the city boss, who controlled the activities of the political party throughout the city. Precinct captains, ward bosses or party loyalists, and the city boss worked together to elect their candidates and guarantee the success of the machine.

Political Machine Whether or not the city boss serves as a mayor, he controls access to city jobs, business licenses, influences courts, municipal or city agencies, arranges building projects and community services. Bosses were paid by businesses, got voters loyalty and extended influence. How? Many captains, bosses were 1st or 2nd generation Americans, meaning they were recently immigrants? Machines helped immigrants with naturalization or American citizenship, jobs and housing. (Sweatshops? Child Labor? Tenements?)??

Municipal Graft and Scandal Machines use electoral fraud to win elections. How? Graft was an illegal use of political influence for personal gain. Example? Machines take kickbacks, bribes to allow legal, illegal activities. Why?

Municipal Graft and Scandal In 1868, William M. Tweed, or Boss Tweed, heads Tammany Hall in NYC powerful Democratic political machine Boss tweed leads Tweed Ring, in defrauding city of millions of dollars. One Scheme? Cartoonist Thomas Nast helps arouse public outrage against Tammany Hall’s graft Tweed Ring broken in 1871. Boss Tweed

Patronage Spurs Reform Patronage was when government jobs were given to those who helped candidates get elected. Spoils system? Civil service (government administration) were all patronage jobs Some appointees were not qualified; some used position for personal gain Reformers press for merit system of hiring for civil service; government administration should go to the most qualified persons and their political views or who recommended them should not matter

Reforms Under Hayes, Garfield, and Arthur Republican Rutherford B. Hayes was elected president in 1876 He named independents to his cabinet, created a commission to investigate corruption and patronage and based on the commission’s report fired two govt. officials because jobs were being controlled by the republican political machine, angering stalwarts? In 188o, Republican independent James A. Garfield wins election

Reform Under Hayes, Garfield, and Arthur Chester A. Arthur is named vice-president Garfield gave patronage jobs to reformers He is then shot and killed on July 2, 1881 by Charles Guiteau (Stalwarts), whom Garfield had previously turned down for a job. Despite his ties to Stalwarts as president, Arthur turned reformer and urged Congress to pass civil service law Pendleton Civil Service Act appointed to government jobs based on an exam score.

Business Buys Influence With employees no longer a source of campaign contributions, politicians turned to wealthy business owners. Business wanted high tariffs; Democrats wanted low tariffs. Why? In 1884, Democrat Grover Cleveland won and could not lower tariffs. In 1888, Rep. Benjamin Harrison became president. Why? He supported higher tariffs, he signed the McKinley Tariff Act? In 1892, Cleveland reelected, supported bill that lowered McKinley Tariff. He rejects bill that also creates income tax. Wilson-Gorman Tariff became law in 1894. In 1897, Rep. William McKinley became president, raised tariffs again.

Republican and Democratic Views Increased money supply Lower tariffs Higher farm prices Less government aid to big business Fewer Blue Laws? Republican Tight money supply High tariffs Government aid to railroads (subsidy- payment made by government to certain key industries Limited immigration Blue Laws