Chicago-style politics
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Chicago-style politics is a byword used to designate a set of characteristics associated to the less commendable aspects of the recent political history of the American city of Chicago, Illinois, (i.e., bribery, patronage, nepotism, authoritarianism) which is often cited as an example of blatant corruption.[1]
The administration of the city under mayor Richard J. Daley is believed to incarnate this style at its worst, several of Daley's subordinates being jailed for corruption. However the most significant systemic trait of Daley's Administration, regarding Chicago-style politics, was its extended reliance on a political machine,[2][3] which not only served to seize the power but also to exert control and to perpetuate political hegemony. Sociologists have demonstrated that this kind of political organization antedates Daley's mandate and can be traced as far back as 1928,[4] being in fact a long political habitus, whose roots and scope go well beyond the formal political party sphere and affect the social structures at community levels.[5]
In recent years the term has been employed by conservative Republican politicians and pundits to characterize a supposedly offensive “tough, take-no-prisoners approach to politics”.[6] thus the Speaker of the House, John Boehner (R-Ohio) during a weekly press briefing, stated that: "Chicago-style politics is shutting the American people out and demonizing their opponents".[7] However, other pundits take issue with this narrow definition of Chicago-style politics. Jacob Weisberg of Slate has accused conservatives of not having a proper historical understanding of Chicago-style politics even while attempting to use it for their own partisan advantage. [8]
See also
- Political history of Chicago
- Chicago City Council
- Political machine
- Cook County Democratic Party
- Summerdale Scandals
- 1968 Democratic National Convention
- Chicago 7
- Operation Board Games
- Chicago mayoral election, 2011
Notes
- ^ Engber, Daniel (9 Dec 2008). "Why Is Chicago So Corrupt?". Slate Magazine.
- ^ Granger, Bill. Lords of the Last Machine: The Story of Politics in Chicago. Random House, 1987.
- ^ O’Connor, Len. Clout: Mayor Daley and His City. McGraw-Hill/Contemporary, 1984.
- ^ Gosnell, F. Harold. Machine Politics: Chicago Model. University of Chicago Press, 1937, p. 27.
- ^ Guterbock, Thomas. Machine Politics in Transition: Party and Community in Chicago (Studies of Urban Society). University of Chicago Press, 1980, p. 33-35, 173.
- ^ MacAskill, Ewen (4 June 2010). "Republicans accuse White House of 'Chicago-style politics'". The Guardian.
- ^ Silva, Mark (23 October 2009). "Obama's Chicago-style politics:' Boehner". Chicago Tribune.
- ^ Weisberg, Jacob (23 July 2012). "Chicago Style". Slate.com.