Spoils System
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The spoils system is when politicians give friends or relatives government jobs. This was very beneficial to politicians because the appointees would give them support in elections and other government matters. It was not illegal, but it was unethical. The spoils system was one thing Garfield tried to reform.
People's Party
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Formed by frustrated farmers, the People's Party wanted to organize the farming industry. The People's Party acted more as a justice system than a political party though. Eventually they had to take a side, and went with the Democratic nominee along with their nominee for vice president. The Democrats lost and the enthusiasm that the People's Party had was lost.
Currency Reform
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After the Civil War, America's currency was all but worthless due to inflation. There was no gold or silver to back the dollar. To raise money, the government created the first income tax, and regulated the hard money (gold and silver). Eventually the government made gold the standard source for hard money.