corrupt bargain

(noun)

A term referring to three historic incidents in American history in which political agreement was determined by congressional or presidential actions that many viewed to be corrupt from different standpoints.

Related Terms

  • plurality
  • majority
  • Second Party System
  • Coffin Handbills

Examples of corrupt bargain in the following topics:

  • The Compromise of 1877

    • The Compromise of 1877 was a purported bargain in which the White House was awarded to the Republican Party after the election of 1876.
    • The "Compromise of 1877" refers to a purported informal, unwritten deal that settled the disputed 1876 U.S. presidential election, regarded as the second "corrupt bargain," and ended congressional ("Radical") Reconstruction.
  • The Election of 1828 and the Character Issue

    • Jackson and his supporters reminded voters of the “corrupt bargain” of 1824.
    • Rallies, parades, and other rituals further broadcast the message that Jackson represented the common man, who stood in contrast to the corrupt elite backing Adams and Clay.
  • The Ford Inauguration

    • Critics derided the move and claimed a "corrupt bargain" had been struck between the men.
  • The Election of 1824

    • Jackson and his followers accused Adams and Clay of striking a corrupt bargain.
  • Features of Progressivism

    • Disturbed by the waste, inefficiency, and corruption of the late nineteenth century, Progressivism was committed to reforming every facet of the state, society and economy.
    • One of the main political goals of the Progressive Movement was to expose corruption within the United States government.
    • Known by Teddy Roosevelt as those "raking up all the muck," Muckrakers were journalists who exposed waste, corruption, and scandal, mainly in the highly influential new medium of national magazines.
    • In ridding the country of corruption, Progressives also sought to create a more effective American democracy.
    • Union leaders feared that large numbers of unskilled, low-paid workers would use collective bargaining to defeat their efforts to raise wages, so immigration restrictions became a major agenda of the Progressive Era.
  • Jay's Treaty

    • They were opposed to granting a "most favored nation" trading status to Britain, as they considered Britain the epitome of political corruption and aristocratic distinction and a major threat to the United States' republican values.
    • Traditionally considered a "diplomatic failure" or a "bad bargain" by most scholars, Jay's Treaty has never seemed to overcome its initial unpopularity.
  • The Soul of a Republic

    • Revolutionary republicanism was centered on the ideal of limiting corruption and greed.
    • A virtuous citizen was considered one who spurned monetary compensation and made a commitment to resist and eradicate corruption.
    • Virtuous citizens had to be strong defenders of liberty and challenge corruption and greed in government.
    • It was believed that the independence that personal wealth enabled would shield people from the temptations of corruption.
    • Jefferson and James Madison roundly denounced the Federalists for creating a national bank, which could lead to corruption and monarchism.
  • Social Justice

    • Progressive reformers tried to achieve social justice by targeting poverty and all forms of social and political corruption.
    • Progressivism arose as a response to the vast changes brought by modernization, such as the growth of large corporations and railroads, and fears of corruption in American politics.
    • Chief among these aims was the pursuit of trustbusting (breaking up very large monopolies), support for labor unions, public health programs, decreased corruption in politics, and environmental conservation.
    • In The Shame of the Cities (1904), Lincoln Steffens dissected corruption in city government, while Ray Stannard Baker's Following the Color Line (1908) criticized race relations.
    • In general, it targeted privilege, unfair wealth gaps, poverty, irresponsible administration, and all forms of social and political corruption, which Progressives believed were retarding the expansion and growth of a more egalitarian, democratic nation.
  • Progressive Government: City and State

    • Progressives took on local governments in attempts to improve efficiency and destroy political corruption.
    • The Progressives were very active in reforming local government to introduce efficiency and weed out corruption.
  • Slave Labor

    • Some slaves had specialized agricultural knowledge which they could use to bargain for better working conditions.
    • The slaves used this knowledge to bargain with the plantation owners to gain more control over their work.
    • The highly developed and knowledgeable skills concerning rice planting possessed by slaves led to their successful ability to use these skills as a bargaining chip in determining the length and conditions of their bondage in the Americas.
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