Arthur was never elected to the presidency but succeeded President Garfield upon his assassination. He was significant for two important pieces of legislation that occurred during his presidency, one positive and the other negative. The Pendleton Civil Service Act, stipulating that government jobs should be awarded on the basis of merit, has had a long reaching positive impact while the Chinese Exclusion Act which allowed the U.S. to suspend immigration became a black mark in American history. http://www.whitehouse.gov/about/presidents/chesterarthur
Presidential Years: 1881-1885