As I understand it, the difference between this and the spoils system lies partly in the scope. The spoils system is patronage. The party in power doles out jobs and contracts in exchange for finanical and electoral support. But the spoils system is not usually seen as so all encompassing. What's being talked about here is how one's life path can be determined on an individual basis by the decisions of party allegiance...even for the apolitical person.

Parties become the political face of economic and social groupings, but with a vengenance.