July 2, 1881. President James Garfield walks through a Washington train station. Charles Guiteau steps forward, raises a revolver, and fires twice. As Garfield falls, Guiteau shouts: "I am a Stalwart of the Stalwarts! Arthur is president now!" In his mind, this isn't murder, it's a job application. Find out how this assassination changed civic history, government workers, the post office, and is a cornerstone of postal history. In Episode 4, Aileen and Maia trace how a broken system that rewarded political loyalty over competence created the conditions for presidential assassination. The spoils system, also called patronage, meant the winning party could fire and replace up to 80% of the federal workforce, turning government jobs into political prizes. The Post Office, employing three-quarters of all federal workers, was the biggest prize of all. ...