Origin
The seeds of the spoils system were sown in the early years of the Republic. The Founding Fathers, wary of creating a powerful central government, intentionally limited the number of civil service positions under federal control. This resulted in a relatively small pool of government jobs, making them highly sought-after and susceptible to political influence. Additionally, the concept of a professional civil service separate from partisan politics was not yet established at the time.
By the early 19th century, the concept of a two-party system solidified, with the Federalists and Democratic-Republicans vying for control. This growing party competition created an environment where both parties sought to reward their loyal supporters and solidify their bases. The spoils system provided a convenient tool for achieving these goals.
The system truly flourished in the era of Andrew Jackson. Jackson implemented the spoils system as a deliberate policy soon after taking office in 1829. A champion of the "common man," Jackson believed that government jobs should be accessible to all citizens, not just the elite. He vastly expanded the number of federal positions. More importantly, he purged federal employees whom he considered to be part of a corrupt aristocracy and replaced them with his own supporters. He argued that this rotation in office was democratic and served as a check against the accumulation of power by a specialized bureaucratic class. During his two terms, it is estimated that Jackson dismissed about ten percent of the federal workforce. The system was applied most notably to the postal service, where Jackson replaced incumbent postmasters with loyalists.
