Political appointments in the United States federal government until 1883. In 1820 Congress limited federal administrators to four-year terms, which led to constant turnover; by the 1860s and the Civil War, patronage had led to widespread inefficiency and political corruption. Although it used to be confined to cabinet positions, department heads, and foreign ambassadorships, by the 1860s patronage had spread to low-level government positions. This meant that when the incumbent political party lost a presidential election, the federal government underwent wholesale turnover. On July 2, 1881, Charles J. Guiteau, a disaffected and mentally unstable political office seeker, assassinated President James Garfield. This highlighted how much the
1881 Christchurch mayoral election 1881 Christchurch mayoral election The Christchurch mayoral election held on 30 November 1881 was contested by German-born baker, hotel proprietor and businessman George Ruddenklau, and businessman Charles Taylor. The election was won by Ruddenklau with a small margin. The election was set for 30 November 1881. At the beginning of September 1881, city councillors Taylor and Aaron Ayers were discussed in the media as likely candidates for the upcoming mayoral election. On 25 November, the incumbent James Gapes announced his candidacy for a third term as mayor, as he was not satisfied with the other two contenders for the position,