machine politics and reform
...nd construction could provide them, and political machines came into being as the encouraged immigrants to exchange their votes for favors. The power of the bosses was based on their ability to help new immigrants to become established in the U.S.—securing licenses, negotiating rent, helping with naturalization, and finding jobs. A boss could have a pothole fixed; he could have someone burn your rival's business and then make sure the fire department never showed up; he could rig an election at any level from ward leader to presidents. In other words, he is a very powerful person with a lot of pull. The political machine consisted of three elements: part bosses or a county committee, which governed the party, machine and controlled the politicians; election district captains who mobilized and organized support at the neighborhood level; and party loyalists who supported the machine with votes and financial support in return for jobs, favors and help provided by bosses and election district captains. Political machines began to decline in importance after 1900. The federal government began to go after corruption in the cities. The expansion of federal welfare and assistance programs made poor people less dependent on the political machines for governmental assistance (Harrigan & Vogal). Progressive Era reformers at the turn of the century successfully compelled local governments to introduce civil service systems to replace party patronage in government employment. Metropolitan growth has also contributed to the decline of the machines (Harrigan & Vogal). By the 1960s, only a small number of political machines remained in the United States, largely in cities such as Chicago that had been able to escape full-scale civil service reform. The programs of the political reformers to end the dominance of the machines were many, direct primaries, nonpartisan elections, at large elections, and separation of local elections from national elections. In addition to reforming the electoral structure, the reformers also sought to alter the forms of city government itself (Harrigan & Vogal). Reformers, however, had other goals besides less expensive government and structural change. Frequently, they were concerned with the morals of the community and advocated changes that would limit or eliminate drinking, wipe out prostitution, or curtail commercial and leisure activity on Sundays. Occasionally, they promoted environmental improvements tied to the new profession of city planning. Some supported social reform such as factory safety laws, minimum wage and maximum-hour laws, and protective legislation for women and children. It was not unusual, however, for the bosses to advocate many of the same changes. Although the machines seemed less concerned with their constituents' morality, it was to their advanta...