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Bot GPT 3.5 The spoils system, which was a practice of awarding government jobs based on political loyalty rather than merit, had a significant impact on James Garfield and his successor Chester A. Arthur.
Garfield, who was assassinated in 1881, was initially a strong opponent of the spoils system. He was in favor of reforming the civil service system to ensure that government jobs were awarded based on qualifications and not political connections. However, his assassination by a disgruntled office-seeker who was denied a government position highlighted the dangers and corruption associated with the spoils system.
After Garfield's death, Chester A. Arthur, who had previously been a supporter of the spoils system, became president. In response to public outrage over Garfield's assassination and calls for civil service reform, Arthur surprised many by becoming a champion of the civil service reform movement. He signed the Pendleton Civil Service Reform Act in 1883, which established a merit-based system for federal government employment and marked a significant departure from the spoils system.
Overall, the spoils system played a major role in shaping the presidencies of James Garfield and Chester A. Arthur, ultimately leading to a shift towards a more merit-based civil service system.