Chapter 7 Immigrants and Urbanization Section 3 Politics in the Gilded Age

Emergence of political machines Def: organized group that controlled activities of political parties in a city Pyramid-like organization –Base = precinct workers and captains –Middle = ward bosses –Top = city bosses Bosses controlled access to municipal jobs and business licenses Influenced immigrants by providing aid

Municipal graft and scandal Graft: illegal use of political influence for personal gain William “Boss” Tweed –Head of Tammany Hall –NYC Dems. –Extortion and fraud Thomas Nast –Exposed bosses

Civil service replaces patronage  Patronage: giving of gov’t jobs to people who had helped a candidate get elected  Civil service: gov’t admin.  Rutherford B. Hayes Rep. president, elected in 1876 Named independents to cabinet Customhouse commission

 James A. Garfield Independent candidate 1881 Appt’d reformers Assassinated by Charles Guiteau  Chester A. Arthur Stalwart turned reformer Pendleton Civil Service Act of 1883: bipartisan commission oversee federal apptmnts.

Business Buys Influence Grover ClevelandGrover Cleveland –Only president to serve two non-consecutive terms –1 st term 1884; tried to lower tariff rates but denied by Congress –2 nd term 1892; refuses to sign McKinley Tariff Benjamin HarrisonBenjamin Harrison –1888, 23 rd president –Raised tariffs with McKinley Tariff Act of 1890 William McKinleyWilliam McKinley – th president, raised tariffs more

Class Activity With a partner, a) create a political cartoon or b) act out a quick skit on one of the following topics: With a partner, a) create a political cartoon or b) act out a quick skit on one of the following topics:  How a political machine uses graft  How political bosses provide services to immigrants in exchange for their votes  How a political machine affects taxpayers