What did the Radical Republicans create to restrict presidential power over office appointments?

• A. Fifteenth Amendment
• B. Tenure of Office Act
• C. Reconstruction Act
• D. Civil Rights Act

Answer: (B)

The Tenure of Office Act was enacted in 1867 primarily as a response to President Andrew Johnson's practices regarding cabinet appointments and removals. The Radical Republicans, who were a faction within the Republican Party during the Reconstruction Era, aimed to limit the president's power to dismiss officials without Senate approval. This legislation required that any federal official who had been appointed by the president with the advice and consent of the Senate could not be removed from office without the Senate's approval. The aim was to ensure that key positions, especially those related to Reconstruction efforts and civil rights, remained filled by individuals who aligned with Radical Republican policies, thereby restricting the president's ability to reverse those policies.

In contrast, the Fifteenth Amendment deals with voting rights and prohibits the denial of the right to vote based on race, the Reconstruction Act outlines the process for readmitting Southern states into the Union after the Civil War, and the Civil Rights Act is focused on ensuring civil rights and equal protection under the law, rather than addressing presidential power over appointments. Therefore, the Tenure of Office Act is the specific legislative measure that directly restricted presidential authority in the context of office appointments.