ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Spoils system

The spoils system is when the winner of an election rewards their supporters with government jobs. This means that when a certain political party or candidate wins an election, they can give friends, family, and people who helped them campaign, jobs working in the government. This often means jobs with good salaries, health benefits, and pensions. This system is called “spoils” because it’s like the winners get to take home a prize.