1.4 The Era of Weak Presidents Flashcards

1
Q

What similarities were there between the Republican Party and Democrats during the Era of Weak President?

A

Both were coalitions of different regional and sectional factions, without any consistent nationwide political programme.

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2
Q

What did the Democrats stand for during the Era of Weak Presidents?

A

States’ rights, white supremacy in the South, a limited role for the federal government, and low tariffs in the interest of the ‘little man’.

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3
Q

What did the Republicans stand for during the Era of Weak Presidents?

A

They were the party of the Union, tending to favour big business, high protective tariffs, and the values of native-born Americans from outside the South.

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4
Q

In what ways was Hayes a weak president?

A

His narrow, disputed election victory, together with his promise not to seek re-election in 1880, made him almost a ‘lame duck’ president from the beginning. His opponents had been greatly strengthened by the terms of the 1877 Compromise.

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5
Q

What is meant by the ‘Solid South’?

A

The Southern states were a region of one-party governments, where the Democratic candidate was certain to win all elections. The only question was which Democrat would be selected at the party caucus in advance of the actual election.

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6
Q

What did the Democratic stranglehold on the South enable the Redeemers to do?

A

Dismantle much of the reformist legislation pushed through by Reconstruction. Black voting rights were undermined, and discriminatory changes to the law damaged the economic position of black agricultural labourers by tying them more closely to the landowners. Reconstruction became a stunted revolution.

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7
Q

What is a party caucus?

A

Internal discussions within a party to select a candidates to run in elections.

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8
Q

What were party caucuses replaced by?

A

Primary elections

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9
Q

What are primary elections?

A

When party members vote to choose between rival candidates to select a candidate for elections.

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10
Q

How are candidates in presidential elections chosen?

A

At their party’s National Nominating Convention.

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11
Q

In what ways did Grant restore political respectability?

A

Kept his promise to be a one-term president (though this weakened his power over the party and Congress) and he tried to reform the civil service to root out patronage.

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12
Q

What is patronage?

A

The practice of rewarding loyal supporters with public posts in order for them to enrich themselves. This was often known as the ‘spoils system’.

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13
Q

Why was reforming the civil service necessary?

A

Most civil service posts were given out to reward loyal supporters with the opportunity to make money, not to provide honest public service.

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14
Q

Who opposed Hayes’s reform of the civil service?

A

Stalwarts, Republicans who were in favour of the spoils system. They were led by the Republican Party boss from New York, Roscoe Conkling. The reform split the party and Hayes sacked Chester Arthur, one of Conkling’s key supporters.

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15
Q

What were the two factions within the Republican party?

A

The stalwarts and the half-breeds, a reformist group who did not support the spoils system and were led by Senator Blaine.

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16
Q

How did the Republican party select their candidate for the 1880 election?

A

The Stalwarts supported the ambitions of Grant to make a political comeback and he seemed likely to win, but there was a deadlock between Grant and Blaine. Out of the infighting, Garfield, Governor of Ohio, emerged as a successful candidate.

17
Q

How did Garfield try to reunite the party after being selected as candidate for the 1880 election?

A

Accepted a Stalwart supporter, Chester Arthur, as his running mate.

18
Q

What was the result of the 1880 election?

A

Garfield won overall. But he only won the popular vote by 10,000.

19
Q

What were the general opinion of Garfield when he became president?

A

He was respected for his honesty and for the quality of the men he appointed to high positions.

20
Q

Why was Garfield’s presidency cut short?

A

He was assassinated by a mentally unstable religious fanatic who claimed to be acting on behalf of the Stalwarts. Garfield was shot and died from infection.

21
Q

Who succeeded Garfield?

A

His vice president, Arthur.

22
Q

What sort of a politician was Arthur?

A

A man of limited talents and dubious integrity, tainted by his links to Conkling and the ‘spoils system’. He was only chose to run as vice president in 1880 as a concession to party unity.

23
Q

What was Arthur like as a president?

A

Mediocre rather than disastrous but the Democrats made big gains in the midterm elections of 1882 and won the presidential election of 1884.

24
Q

Who succeeded Arthur?

A

Cleveland

25
Q

What Party were each of the presidents from between 1877 and 1893?

A

Hayes, Garfield, Arthur, and Harrison were all Republicans and Cleveland was a Democrat.

26
Q

How did Cleveland win the election of 1884?

A

Support from immigrants and southerners because he promised to keep tariffs low. He also promised to tackle corruption and end the spoils system. This infuriated pro-business Republicans.

27
Q

Who succeeded Cleveland in the 1888 election?

A

Benjamin Harrison

28
Q

What was a key factor is Harrison’s election victory in 1888?

A

Support from the Grand Army of the Republic (GAR), an organisation founded to represent veterans of the Northern armies in the Civil War.

29
Q

What was Cleveland’s attitude towards the GAR?

A

He refused to go along with their demand, denouncing them as unjustified and corrupt.

30
Q

How was Harrison’s presidency characterised?

A

It was marked by his determination to reward his supporters, both in the GAR and in big business. The Civil War veterans received pensions and special hospitals, while big businesses received the McKinley Tariff, passed by Congress in 1890, putting tariff levels up higher than ever before.