President Andrew Jackson used the spoils system to
(1) stop the westward expansion of slavery
(2) strengthen the military for national defense
(3) reward loyal political supporters
(4) destroy the Bank of the United States

Respuesta :

Answer: (3) reward loyal political supporters.

Explanation:

The term "spoils system" was used by President Jackson's political opponents, who took a very negative view of his practice of rewarding political supporters with government jobs.  The origin of the term, however, came from one of Jackson's supporters.  In a speech in the Senate, defending Jackson and his administration, Senator William Marcy of New York said, "To the victors belong the spoils."

Jackson's opponents bristled at that thought and continued to speak against what became known as "the spoils system."

Reward loyal political supporters.

The presidency of Andrew Jackson is an era that has been thoroughly pondered upon by historians studying American history. His era was marked by controversial policies, which aimed at reconstruction and reform of the United States economy and streamlining the administration. However, the most important factor that characterised his presidency was the nature of his appointments to prominent political positions within the government that fulfilled two purposes- the rewarding of prominent members of his political party who worked relentlessly so that he could achieve political victory, and secondly, using their loyalty to consolidate his position and authority as President. This particular arrangement during President Jackson’s presidency came to be known as the ‘Spoils system’.

Further Explanation-

Despite President Jackson’s elaborate programs of restructuring and streamlining the functioning of American governmental agencies, he lost his popularity with the members of the Congress, and in large, the American public. The principles of the ‘Spoils system’ that emerged during his Presidency were grounded in the concept of personal connections over talent. Thus, in this case, any person could get appointed to high ranking offices of power and political position within the government, on the personal recommendation of the President. The supersession of talent by personal recommendation was also practiced by Jackson’s predecessors, namely, Thomas Jefferson and even George Washington, albeit in a much-limited way. Thus, it can be said, that during the presidency of Andrew Jackson, the concept of ‘Spoils system’ was institutionalized, which caused him the ire of the general American citizens. While the spoils system had its merits in keeping political allies close and presenting a strong, united front to the opposition, favoritism overruled talent, leading to inconsistency and lack of uniformity in the appointments to high governmental and administrative posts.  

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Answer Details-

Grade- Graduation

Chapter- The United States in the Nineteenth Century

Subject- History

Keywords-

Institutionalization of the spoils system, favoritism, personal favor over talent, inconsistency in administration, reform and reconstruction, opposition.