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WELCOME TO THE MACHINE. POLITICAL MACHINE. An organization, headed by a single boss that commands enough votes to maintain political and administrative control of a city Notorious in bigger cities New York, Chicago, San Francisco, Boston, ect Three tier system. Tier System.
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POLITICAL MACHINE • An organization, headed by a single boss that commands enough votes to maintain political and administrative control of a city • Notorious in bigger cities • New York, Chicago, San Francisco, Boston, ect • Three tier system
Pros of Political Machines • Consolidate power in the hands of a boss • Less “red tape” to put up with • Provided immigrants with housing, jobs, ect. • Mayor Richard J. Daley, Chicago (1955-1976) • Argued they gave city governments the power and authority to cope with urban problems effectively
Cons of Political Machines • Corruption • Fraud • Creating fake voters to affect outcome of an election • Graft • Illegal use of political influence for personal gain • Kick backs • Taking a portion of earnings for the machine • Secretary of War, W.W. Belknap • Patronage • Giving of government jobs to people who had helped a candidate get elected
Boss Tweed • Williams M. Tweed (1823-1878) • Boss of Tammany Hall • Powerful Democratic political machine in New York • Tweed Ring • US House Representative (1853-1855) • Stole $25-$45 million from tax payer dollars • Arrested 1874 • Released after a year, arrested again, escaped, captured in Spain
Civil Service Reform • President James A. Garfield (R1881) • Gave most of his patronage jobs to reformers • Assassinated 4 months into presidency by a stalwart • Died 2 months later • President Chester A. Arthur (R1881-1885) • Stalwart • Surprised many by favoring reform • Pendleton Civil Service Act (1883) • Created examinations for applicants to take before they can be placed in certain government jobs
Who is the only US President to serve two non consecutive terms? Answer: GROVER CLEVELAND
Grover Cleveland (D 1893-1897) • First Democrat elected President since the Civil War • Former Governor of New York (1883-1885) • Tariffs • Republicans wanted them raised • Higher tariffs protected American industry • Lower tariffs made products more affordable for consumers • Cleveland wanted to lower them • Loses election to Benjamin Harrison (R 1889-1893) • Defeats Harrison in 1892 election
McKinley Tariff Act 1890 • Passed under the Harrison administration • Raised tariffs on manufactured goods from 38% to 49.5% • Highest they had ever been • Cleveland supported lowering it • Failed to do so to prevent establishment of a federal income tax
Big Business in Politics • Politicians turn to businesses • Harrison’s campaign financed largely by big companies • They wanted higher tariffs to protect their goods • Cleveland and J.P. Morgan strike a deal • U.S. gold supplies running low • U.S. would sell gold bonds to Morgan and Wall Street associates at a discount • Morgan would help to prevent gold from leaving the treasury • Cost Cleveland support in his own party
Current Event Assignment • Research money in politics today • Citizens United, Super PACs, big business, ect • Compare to the rise of business in politics in the late 1800s • How is it similar • How is it different • Do you believe money in politics is a good or bad thing? • 1 page