After the Civil War the domination of the "political machine" over the affairs of government in the urban cities of the north became an undisputed fact of local politics. Their power flowed from creating a form of government that sought to perpetuate the position of its leaders by engaging in a bartering process with voters. The political machine existed during a time of mass migration to our urban centers from both immigrants and those in search of work. It played upon the ethnic composition of the new electorate, and their focus on obtaining basic necessities such as work, housing and food. Likewise, political machines acted as a facilitator toward businesses who chose to support them. If a business provided financial contributions and control over jobs which would be used as patronage, in return the business would receive contracts, licenses, and municipal approvals which were difficult to obtain from the fragmented governmental authorities which existed during the period.......
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Approximate Word Count: 1442
Approximate Pages: 6 (260 words per double-spaced page) |