Gilded Age Politics (1869-1900)
Zachery Hawkins
Corruption of Grant Administration (1869-1877)
Gould-Fisk Gold scheme-- Gould & Fisk, twogovernment-friendly financiers, Attempted to use government influence to corner the gold market. Convincing Grant to hold U.S. goldfromthe market, they then proceeded to buy all the gold Available.
Credit Mobilier scandal-- THE builders of the Union Pacific Railroad used a construction comany they owned to buiald the rail line. Congress became involved when it was learned that several Congressmen were major stockholders inthe company.
Civil Service Reform
Pres. Garfieled's assassination by a disappointed office-seeker in 1881 convinced Congress to reform the systeam of awarding government jobs.
Pendleton Civil Service Act (1883) created system of competitive examinations for some government positions, thus reducing the influence of the patronage system.
Democratic Pres. Grover Cleveland added 12,00 jobs to the classified list, thus exanding the merit system.