Patronage and the spoils system
CLEP American Government, Chapter 13 Patronage and the spoils system Patronage means distributing government positions or benefits partly to reward political supporters. The historical spoils system treated many public jobs as prizes belonging to the party that won an election. Supporters argued that rotation in office prevented a permanent elite and allowed the winning party […]
Merit system
CLEP American Government, Chapter 13 Merit system The merit system bases covered federal employment decisions on job-related ability, fair competition, and performance rather than on partisan loyalty. Its purpose is practical as well as ethical. A government that inspects aircraft, protects computer systems, or evaluates medical claims needs employees who can perform those tasks even […]
