In 1881 more than 50 percent of all federal jobs were patronage positions. As control of the presidency shifted from one major party to the other in 1885, 1889, 1893, and 1897, dramatic turnovers occurred in personnel. Post Office positions were considered excellent rewards for party loyalists, and the department became notorious for its high numbers of underworked administrators. After he took office for his first term in 1885, President Cleveland, the first Democratic president since James Buchanan left office in 1861, replaced nearly forty thousand postmasters. This system of rewards was costly, created chaos and inefficiencies, and became the focus of critics who saw patronage as an abuse of power. As governing the nation became increasing complex and the amount of work multiplied, members of both parties saw the need for a class of civilservice workers who would not be dependent on party patronage for their jobs...