The Strengths and Weaknesses o

Machine politics had numerous strengths among which were the high levels of political participation it encouraged. It also satisfied important social needs that official government institutions could not fulfill due to the decentralized structure of government provided for by the Constitution. Effective party bosses were able organize and centralize fragmented power in order to satisfy the needs of different groups in their community. It humanized and personalized assistance to the needy by directly appealing to …

…form electoral coalitions and machines must assimilate numerous ethnic groups in order to gain greater group influence and benefits. While machine politics could result in greater political power the economic gains it could provide would be limited as evidenced by the struggles encountered by the Irish. Eventually machine politics would have to give way to a new system of politics that would maintain the lower class’s political gains but would further their economic mobility.