Question

1. why did tariff reform fail?
2. what if the pendleton civil service act had never passed?

Explanation:

Sub - question 1: Why did tariff reform fail?

Tariff reform (e.g., in the US late 19th/early 20th century) faced failure due to multiple factors. Politically, powerful business interests (like protected industries) lobbied against reducing tariffs as they benefited from high tariffs that shielded them from foreign competition. Also, the complex political landscape with different regional and party interests clashing over tariff levels (e.g., industrial North wanted high tariffs, agricultural South wanted low for cheaper imports) made consensus hard. Economically, the belief that high tariffs were necessary for domestic industrial growth was widespread, and fears of job losses in protected industries if tariffs were cut added to resistance. Additionally, the lack of a strong, unified political force pushing for reform (with parties often divided internally on the issue) stalled efforts.

If the Pendleton Civil Service Act (1883) had never passed, the spoils system (patronage) would likely have continued to dominate federal employment. This would mean jobs in the civil service were given based on political loyalty (e.g., supporting a winning party/candidate) rather than merit. Politically, this would lead to more corruption as officials could use jobs to reward supporters, and less stable governance as each new administration would fire large numbers of employees to replace them with their own supporters, disrupting government operations. Economically, the quality of civil service work would likely decline as hiring was not based on skills/qualifications, leading to inefficiencies in government programs (e.g., poor administration of public services, mismanagement of funds). Also, the growth of a professional civil service (with career employees) would be stunted, so the government's capacity to implement long - term policies and adapt to complex issues would be limited. Socially, there would be less social mobility as access to government jobs would be restricted to those with political connections, and public trust in government might erode due to the perception of widespread corruption and incompetence in the civil service.

Answer:

Tariff reform failed due to political divisions (regional/party interests clashing over tariff levels), powerful business lobbying (protected industries opposing cuts), economic beliefs (high tariffs seen as key for industrial growth, fears of job losses), and a lack of unified political force for reform.

Sub - question 2: What if the Pendleton Civil Service Act had never passed?