Question: giving government jobs to friends or as political favors is known as
Answer: 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 , and relatives 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 .