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Corruption In Government
The dominant issues were cultural (especially regarding prohibition, education, and ethnic or racial groups) and economic (tariffs and money supply). With the rapid growth of cities, political machines increasingly took control of urban politics. -
The Pendleton Act
Provided that Federal Government jobs be awarded on the basis of merit and that Government employees be selected through competitive exams. The act also made it unlawful to fire or demote for political reasons employees who were covered by the law. -
Problems For Farmers
During the Gilded Age, more and more farmers lost their land and slipped down the agricultural ladder into tenant farming, sharecropping, and the crop-lien system. Tenant farmers rented the right to farm someone else's land for a cash payment. Frustrated farmers organized their own party, the Populist. -
Problems For Workers
Poor Working Conditions. During the Gilded Age, a growing number of Americans worked in urban areas in manufacturing factories. They worked 10-hour shifts, six days a week. The wages they earned were barely enough to support their families.
