Merits vs Spoil System
The merit system is the process of promotion and hiring government employees based on their ability to perform a job, and not their political connections. It is the inverse of spoil system. A spoil system is a practice in which a political party after winning an election gives government jobs for their voters as a reward for working toward victory.
The spoil system is a system of political patronage in which the loyal party supporters are rewarded with key posts in the government when a party wins office or has a majority in the legislature. This type of system can be seen in many countries, despite occurring at a much lower level than it once did. Here in the United States, where the term originated, the president still