Introduction
Machine politics is an exchange process in which it is seen as an essential way for those who would like to win the elections and the political machines encouraged the favors and the benefits of the votes in America. Political machines operated during the time when the public life was different from the home life. Features of the machine politics are that it was made of the political leaders to exercise their powers and there were different group of leaders who had different function to make the organization work. Different groups of people, who include: the party leads who was the boss and was the controller of every thing in the organization.
He was above the administrative assistants and this meant that he guided the activities that were done in the organization. There was the ward leader who worked with the top leaders, the precinct captains followed these ward leaders and lastly there are the block captains. (Dick, 1990)
Essay Body
A function of the machines was the cooperation in which they led to the need for these people knowing what to do and how to go about the problems that existed. There was the protection of the shops and the buildings were protected from the attacks this is because the political machines received payoffs from the sweatshops and therefore there was the need to care for the changes that occurred. The changes also operated in setting the losses that were caused by the ethnic clashes and the resettlement of the new arrivals of the navitists.
Benefits for these political machines included: there was the naturalization of the new citizens and the provision of new arrivals the right channel to the social mobility. There was the material benefit like the assistance for food and shelters and other basic needs that are required during the times of elections this was a benefit to the people. The leaders viewed if as a safe way of waiting for the establishment of the civic actions. The groups had an agreement and the machines had to have the assistance that was concerned with the achievement of the goals and this led to the attainment of the votes that were required. The urban machines were responsible for dispense of the non-material benefits to the concerned groups.
There was the expansion of the cities, businesses and the real estate developers got profit and there was the distribution of the new patronage jobs in the places that was concerned. The political machine has it concern in ensuring that the growth that was undertaken was to be done in the right manner and therefore the permissions that was intended was given to the concerned group. (Dick, 1990)
Limitations of these machines is that it was also seen as the breakage system where by the machine politician had interest on the keeping the power for himself and had no concern in seeking for the advance broad public policy goals. The machine leaders were in the risks of making enemies and this led to the losses of votes. The machines was not responsible for all in the city and therefore this meant that it was not beneficial to all but it had its main concern to a certain group of people in the city.
The big city machines were dominated by the Irish and there was a limited benefit to the other groups like the Italians, the east European ethnics and the race minorities. The political machines were seen to be corrupt but they did not make it clear how it operated. The political machines were also responsible for practices like the organized crimes and the illegal gambling, which had a high record in the country.
The political machine was able to get votes from the lower class workers but they did not provide the best conditions for the slums and the sweatshops. This meant that the Americans benefited while the blacks were discriminated and therefore they were not cared for in the right way and this lead to the problems been faced by the blacks, as they were associated with the bad practices that occurred in the country. The provision of the jobs were limited and this meant that not all benefited even though it was providing for the creation of new jobs but the jobs were limited to the immigrants.
Factors that led to the decline of the political machines in the country was the result of the restrictions that were placed on the people by the federal government then this meant that there was no potential supporters to such machines and this led to its decline. There was also the rise of the national prosperity and education where by the educated and wealthy voters were independent and therefore they did not like the trading for the votes.
The Americas wealth led to the new geographical movement and the onset of the suburban boom affected the use of these machines. With the growth of the welfare state then the local machines were undermined and could not be used and therefore the benefits that existed were no longer in place. This is because the local machine was not able to compete with the new federal programs and therefore it was no longer in use.
Another reason for the decline was the changes that were brought about by the reform movements which had occurred in the country and it led to the merit system been in use. There was also the civil service where by the machines were not able to offer the jobs and this led to the decline as the civil services were in use. There was the rise in the use of TVs, which led to the media orientation, and the independence and this was an effect to the armies as they made use of the modern mass media. (Dick, 1990)
Conclusion
Political machines even though it was widely ides in the country that is America, it had more limitations that the benefits this is because it had the gap that existed in the provision of the services and jobs this meant that the people could not benefit and mainly the blacks were not well cater for. Political machines were for the rich leaders therefore the poor were not involved in it and this lead to more problems affecting the poor people as they were not given any importance and benefits in the country.
Reference
Dick, P. (1990): The politics in the America. The university press.