POLITICS IN THE “GILDED AGE”

THE NAME GILDED AGE COMES FROM A MARK TWAIN SATARICAL NOVEL CALLED THE GILDED AGE.

THE BOOK MOCKS THE GREED AND SELF-INDULGENCE AND SHOWS THE GROWING GAP BETWEEN THE FEW RICH AND THE MANY POOR

AN ORGANIZED GROUP THAT CONTROLLED THE ACTIVTIES OF A POLITICAL GROUP IN A CITY

THEY ALSO OFFERED SERVICES TO VOTERS AND BUSINESSES IN EXCHANGE FOR POLITICAL OR FINANCIAL SUPPORT

IT WAS ORGANIZED LIKE A PYRAMID

Political boss: controlled political party in city

Ward boss: secure votes by doing favors for poor & providing city jobs, contracts, and appointments

Precinct captain: gain votes on a city block; report to ward boss

THE POLITICAL BOSS WHETHER OR NOT THEY WERE THE MAYOR CONTROLLED ACCESS TO MUNICIPAL JOBS AND BUSINESS LICENSES, AND INFLUENCED THE COURTS AND OTHER MUNICIPAL AGENCIES.

BUILT PARKS, SEWER SYSTEMS, WATERWORKS, AND GAVE MONEY TO SCHOOLS, HOSPITALS, AND ORPHANAGES. IN RETURN THEY RECEIVED POLITICAL SUPPORT

MANY PRECINCT CAPTAINS AND POLITICAL BOSSES WERE FIRST-GENERATION OR SECOND-GENERATION IMMIGRANTS. FEW WERE EDUCATED BEYOND GRAMMER SCHOOLS AND WORKED THEIR WAY UP FROM THE BOTTOM

THE BOSSES WERE ABLE TO PROVIDE HOUSING AND JOBS THE IMMIGRANTS MOST PRESSING NEED. IN RETURN THE IMMIGRANTS PROVIDED WHAT THE POLITICAL BOSSES NEEDED - VOTES

THE LOYALTY OF VOTERS WAS NOT ENOUGH TO CARRY AN ELECTION, SOME POLITICAL MACHINES TURNED TO FRAUD.

USED FAKE NAMES TO CAST AS MANY VOTES AS WERE NEEDED TO WIN

THE ILLEGAL USE OF POLITICAL INFLUENCE FOR PERSONAL GAIN. HELPING A PERSON FIND A JOB ON A

CONSTRUCTION SITE AND THEN HAVING THAT PERSON CHARGE THE CITY FOR MORE THAN THE ACTUAL COST. THEY WOULD THEN GIVE A KICK BACK TO THE POLITICAL BOSS.

HE WAS THE HEAD OF TAMMANY HALL WHICH WAS NEW YORK CITY’S MOST POWERFUL DEMOCRATIC POLITICAL MACHINE BETWEEN 1869-1871.

TWEED ORDERED THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE NEW YORK COUNTY COURTHOUSE.

THE PROJECT COST TAXPAYERS $13 MILLION WHILE THE ACTUAL COST WAS $3 MILLION. THE DIFFERENCE WENT INTO THE POCKETS OF TWEED AND HIS FOLLOWERS.

HE AROUSED PUBLIC OUTRAGE AGAINST TAMMANY HALL’S GRAFT AND THE TWEED RING WAS BROKEN IN 1871.

HE WAS CAPTURED IN SPAIN AFTER SOMEONE RECOGNIZED HIM FROM ONE OF NAST’S POLITICAL CARTOONS

GIVING GOVERNMENT JOBS TO PEOPLE WHO HELPED A CANDIDATE GET ELECTED.

MANY OF THE GOVERNMENT JOBS WERE GIVEN TO PEOPLE WHO WERE NOT QUALIFIED.

REFORMERS BELIEVED THAT GOVERNMENT JOBS SHOULD GO TO THOSE PEOPLE WHO WERE MOST QUALIFIED.

GOVERNMENT ADMINISTRATION OR GOVERNMENT JOBS

AUTHORIZED A BIPARTISAN CIVIL SERVICE COMMISISSION TO MAKE APPOINTMENTS TO FEDERAL JOBS THROUGH A MERIT SYSTEM BASED ON A CANDIDATES’ PERFORMANCE ON AN EXAMINATION.

BECAUSE EMPLOYEES WERE NO LONGER A SOURCE OF CAMPAIGN CONTRIBUTIONS, POLITICIANS TURNED TO WEALTHY BUSINESS OWNERS.