16 ene 1883 año - Pendleton Act

Descripción:

A federal law requiring government positions to be filled based on merit rather than affiliation. This ended what was known as the "spoils system." Introduced by President Andrew Jackson, it involved giving top-level positions in the federal government to political allies, even if they were not qualified to fill the position. The law was added because of the circumstances surrounding President James A. Garfield's assassination. His killer, Charles J. Guiteau, was mad at Garfield because Guiteau believed he deserved an important position in government because of his (perceived) assistance in the 1880 election that won Garfield the presidency. However, he was not granted such a position, leading to the assassination. Furthermore, the Pendleton Act prevented the act of firing or demoting federal employees because of party affiliation. It created the US Civil Service Commission, which was in charge of regulating this law.