Spoils system refers to:

Spoils system refers to:

• A. The system of employing civil servants who are friends and supporters of the group in power
• B. The merit-based hiring system
• C. A system of private-sector competition
• D. A system of appointment by random lottery

Answer: (A)

The main idea here is patronage: government jobs are given to friends and supporters of the party in power. This practice, often called the spoils system, ties hiring to political loyalty rather than measured qualifications. Historically, it emerged as a way for victorious parties to reward their supporters after elections, which could create a loyal apparatus but also meant that many positions were filled by people chosen for political reasons rather than competence. This helped spur later reforms that shifted toward hiring based on merit and exams rather than who you supported politically. That’s why the other options don’t fit: merit-based hiring focuses on qualifications and competitive exams; private-sector competition refers to market-driven hiring outside of government; and a random lottery would be a random, not politically motivated, method.

The main idea here is patronage: government jobs are given to friends and supporters of the party in power. This practice, often called the spoils system, ties hiring to political loyalty rather than measured qualifications. Historically, it emerged as a way for victorious parties to reward their supporters after elections, which could create a loyal apparatus but also meant that many positions were filled by people chosen for political reasons rather than competence. This helped spur later reforms that shifted toward hiring based on merit and exams rather than who you supported politically.

That’s why the other options don’t fit: merit-based hiring focuses on qualifications and competitive exams; private-sector competition refers to market-driven hiring outside of government; and a random lottery would be a random, not politically motivated, method.