What were government jobs based on under the spoils system?

In politics and government, a spoils system (also known as a patronage system) is a practice in which a political party, after winning an election, gives government civil service jobs to its supporters, friends (cronyism), and relatives (nepotism) as a reward for working toward victory, and as an incentive to keep .

In politics and government, a spoils system (also known as a patronage system) is a practice in which a political party, after winning an election, gives government civil service jobs to its supporters, friends (cronyism), and relatives (nepotism) as a reward for working toward victory, and as an incentive to keep working for the party—as opposed to a merit system, where offices are awarded on the basis of some measure of merit, independent of political activity.

The term was used particularly in politics of the United States, where the federal government operated on a spoils system until the Pendleton Act was passed in 1883 due to a civil service reform movement. Thereafter the spoils system was largely replaced by nonpartisan merit at the federal level of the United States.

The term was derived from the phrase "to the victor belong the spoils" by New York Senator William L. Marcy,[1][2] referring to the victory of Andrew Jackson in the election of 1828, with the term spoils meaning goods or benefits taken from the loser in a competition, election or military victory.[3]

Similar spoils systems are common in other nations that traditionally have been based on tribal organization or other kinship groups and localism in general.

Explanation:

first of all, it's important to say that the book we shall not be moved, written by joan dash, is about the first strike of women in the united states in the year 1909. the best historical detail to clarify the reader's undertanding is the phrase "general strike". this strike involved women working at a garment factory who decided to protest   long working hours, low wages and brutal conditions. this strike became known as "the new york shirtwaist strike" or "the uprising of the 20,000". the strike mostly involved jewish women who did not speak english or who had a basic knowledge of the english language. finally, the strike went on from november 1909 until february 1910.