machine politicians
Corrupt party operatives
Machine politicians are elected officials or party operatives who work within a political machine—an organization that maintains power through patronage, favors, and tight discipline rather than ideological appeal.
The term carries connotations of corruption, backroom dealing, and prioritizing loyalty over principle: The machine politicians traded city contracts for votes.
- precinct captainLocal electoral district leader
- cronyismFavoring friends in appointments
- Tammany HallInfamous Democratic political machine
- city hallSeat of local government
- patronageSupporter's financial backing
kickback · gerrymandering · smoke-filled rooms · ward heeler · corruption · graft · hacks · spoils system · party boss · vote buying · racketeering · voter mobilization · walking around money · get out the vote · disenfranchisement · nepotism · old boy network · grease the wheels
- Americanspresidents, senators, governors, generals, authors
machine politiciansreformers
Advocates for institutional improvement
idealists · crusaders · muckrakers · statesmen · visionaries
machine politiciansinsurgents
Those fighting established authority
machine, machines, machined, machining, machinist, machinists, machinery, mechanic, mechanics