What issue does political patronage present?

In politics, the patronage system which was based around the spoils of war mentality caused problems of having unqualified and corrupt officials in government positions because they would get there only because they were close to the ruling party or the ruler. This was common before the merit system.

Explanation:

a phrase from a poem by ralph waldo emerson about the battle of lexington and concord. emerson's words read, “here once the embattled farmers stood / and fired the shot heard round the world.”