CHICAGO POLITICS BOSS A n unofficial title for the Mayor the highest political office in the city Originally the Mayor had relatively little power compared to aldermen but over time greater power was consolidated in this office ID: 162566
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Slide1
HOW TO SPEAK
CHICAGO POLITICSSlide2
BOSS
A
n unofficial title for the Mayor, the highest political office in the city
Originally the Mayor had relatively little power compared to aldermen, but over time, greater power was consolidated in this office.
The Mayor is widely viewed as the BOSS of the city or the political “machine.”
The Mayor oversees such entities as the school board, the police, the fire department, and the park district.Slide3
MACHINE POLITICS
As opposed to a two-party system of competitive politicking, Machine Politics revolves around a centralized, one-party system.
Democrats have been in power in Chicago since 1931 (82 years!)
In return for votes, politicians dispense services and jobs to their supporters.
Very hierarchical, the machine extends from the City Hall to the Wards to the Precincts. Slide4
CITY COUNCIL
The “legislative” branch of city government.
The City Council is composed of 50 wards, overseen by
aldermen/alderwomen
.
In addition to passing legislation affecting the entire city, aldermen/alderwomen are largely responsible for organizing the delivery of services to the residents of their wards.
The wards in Chicago do not correspond to neighborhood boundaries, but are often drawn by racial and ethnic boundaries.Slide5
ALDERMANIC PRIVILEGE
By tradition, an alderman or woman has the authority to approve of certain real estate and business developments in their ward, particularly if zoning changes are required.
Since the entire council needs to sign off on a zoning change, other aldermen will usually defer to the wishes of the alderman in whose ward the development will be.
During “council wars,” this deference is usually among the first casualties.Slide6
PATRONAGE
The mayor, the aldermen/women, and heads of departments (fire, police, parks, schools, streets & sanitation) often appoint people to governmental positions as rewards for political and financial support or in recognition of family and friendship ties.
The opposite of merit appointments, this form of staffing the city is called patronage and gives rise to many charges of corruption in local government.Slide7
CLOUT
Borrowed from baseball (clout meant a powerful hit), Chicago politicians gave the term political meaning in the mid-twentieth century as political machines were forming.
Clout is now a political term meaning the ability to get the ear of someone in political power and persuade them to align with your interests.Slide8
The “FIX”
More “democratic” than clout, which was often the domain of the elite.
Especially during the 20
th
century, many Chicagoans of all types turned to any politician or government office holder, including police, to “fix” a problem for them by making it “go away.” The problem was commonly a ticket or fine.
In return, Chicagoans would remain loyal to the powers-that-be.