POLITICAL MACHINES

DO NOW• Read the case study on a political machine from St. Louis: The Pendergasts and answer the questions that follow in your notebook. Discuss

MODERN POLITICAL CORRUPTION-ILLINOIS

A federal jury convicted Gov. Ryan in April 2006 on fraud and racketeering charges. Federal prosecutors had alleged that under Ryan, the state of Illinois was basically for sale. They accused Ryan of presiding over state government offices that were thoroughly corrupt for at least a decade.

Ryan steered lucrative state government contracts and leases to friends and government insiders who gave him and his family vacations, gifts and cash.

Rod Blagojevich was convicted on corruption charges related to attempting to sell his appointment of President Obama’s vacant Senate seat.

POLITICAL MACHINEREVIEW

Political Machine: Organized group that controlled the activities of a political party in a city and offered services to voters and businesses in exchange for political or financial support.

Graft: a form of political corruption that can be defined as an unscrupulous use of a politician's authority for personal gain.

THE POLITICAL MACHINE CONT. Closely connected to urban growth was the

emergence of the powerful city machine The machines traded services with votes

Streets Buildings Public services Immigrants were in need of even more

services

ORGANIZATION OF POLITICAL MACHINE Precinct Workers – Worked to gain voters’ support

on a city block or in a neighborhood and reported to the ward boss.

Ward Boss – Helped the poor and gained votes by doing favors or providing services. In return for votes they would provide city jobs, contracts or appointments.

City Boss – Controlled thousands of municipal jobs, including police, fire and sanitation departments. Controlled business licenses and inspections. Had a lot of influence over courts and other municipal agencies.

WILLIAM MARCY TWEED

Became head of New York City’s Tammany Hall in 1863

Tammany Hall was the powerful Democratic political machine

Between 1869 and 1873, the Tweed Ring pocketed as much as $200 million from the city in kickbacks and payoffs

Tammany Hall Examples of Tweed’s work:

Construction of New York County Courthouse (cost taxpayers $13 million, but actually cost $3 million – rest was pocketed by Tweed Ring)

Some positive public works came out of Tammany Hall – Brooklyn Bridge and Central Park

FALL OF TWEED Tweed ring broken in 1871 Tweed fell from power in 1872 Political cartoonist, Thomas Nast ridiculed Tweed in the New

York Times and in Harper’s Weekly Tweed was indicted on 120 counts of fraud and extortion In 1873 he was sentenced to 12 yrs in jail After serving 2 yrs, he escaped He was later captured in Spain

SPOILS VS. MERIT IN REPUBLICAN PARTY

Patronage led to the desire to reform government. Stalwarts – opposed changes in the spoils

system Reformers Mugwumps – wanted civil service reform Half-Breeds – wanted reform, but wanted to

remain loyal to Republicans Republicans settled on independent candidate

Garfield Garfield had ties to reformers Arthur had ties to Roscoe Conkling (Stalwart)

ACTS PASSED TO REFORM GOVERNMENT Pendleton Service Act Wilson-Gorman Tariff 1894

What are these acts and how did they reform the corruption of the government?

TEXTBOOK REVIEW Civil Service reform- jobs in administrative positions

should go to the most qualified. From your reading of the section summarize these

presidents’ attempts at reform: Hayes Garfield Arthur

ACT PASSAGE PRACTICE 16 minutes-

Choose to do one passage in 12m or 2 in 16. How are you going to prepare? What are

things you are going to do to focus yourself right before the test? What order will you go in? What are you looking for in the passages?