What was at stake between the competing candidates, especially Adams and Jackson?

The correct answer to this open question is the following.

Although there are no options attached we can say the following.

What was at stake between the competing candidates, especially Adams and Jackson was the reputation and legality of the United States election system.

We are talking about the controversial US election of 1824.

In this election, four candidates participated: Andrew Jackson, John Quincy Adams, Henry Clay, and William Crawford. The election resulted very competitively, without a clear winner. In the end, Andrew Jackson won the popular vote. That is why the final result relied on the hands of the House of Representatives. Congress gave the final victory to Jhon Quincy Adams, and candidate Jackson accused the decision to be corrupted.

President Adams appointed Henry Clay as his Secretary of State and that made Andrew Jackson accuse this of a corruption action. The popular mane of this situation was known as the Corrupt Bargain.