Grant was unable to give proper focus to Reconstruction efforts in the South because of the number of scandals that plagued his presidency.
As a result, voters lost faith in the administration's handling of Reconstruction. Ulysses S. Grant had granted positions in his administration to people he thought he could rely on, rather than choosing them based on their merits and qualifications. The poor governance and scandals included members of his cabinet as well as other government agencies.
Reform movements began to appear in response to the corruption in the Grant administration, not only in the Democratic Party, but also among Republicans. The Liberal Republicans were a faction that split from Republican Party in 1872, to oppose the reelection of Grant.
