Political Machines - Theodore Lowi - Essay Example

Political Machines Option A – The New Machines Introduction Theodore Lowi wrote insightfully about politics and political organization in United States in 1950,s and 1960s. Theodore depicts political as institution odd to cities of United States. According to Theodore, political machines display consolidation, integration, and drawbacks. Political machines grow from within cities and do not emanate because of the need to oppose a particular ruthless state. Political machine are applicable in dispersed, and ungrouped society. Theodore portrays that machines have devised viable methods that capitalizes on racial and ethnic differences. Therefore, the basis of political machines is on people who have dissimilar and varying interests. Theodore observes that the different people share a common link despite their fear and ignorance. Theodore perceives that the sole purpose of political machines were to develop American cities equally. This move aimed at promoting urban democracy (Lowi 84-85). Theodore allude that new machines replaced old ones. This essay rejects the arguments of Theodore Lowi. The new and old political machines display similarities signifying that nothing has changed in the governance of American cities. To start with, although some cities such as New York have experienced some reforms in their mode of governance, there are no considerable changes in others cities such as Chicago. For instance, Theodore asserts that Chicago maintained a strong hold of old political machines in the year 1967. This is opposite to the case of New York, which embraced new wave of political reforms. In the year 1967, Chicago reaffirmed and consolidated its old ways of doing political unlike New York, which ushered in political transformation (Lowi 85). This depicts that old machines is still in existence and did not disappear as Theodore claimed. The power of political machine still prevails in Chicago and there is no prediction of its disappearance. Second, new political machines depict many commonalities with the old ones. Methods of employment to senior positions resemble the old way of recruitment. This new method picks those candidates who have experience in their careers. This succeeds the dubious way of selecting candidates to the political seats. According to Theodore’s essay, the so-called reforms have painted politics as a dirt game. This is a perpetuation of the old political machines, which embraced such mode of electing people to occupy top ranks. Big cities such as New York have poor governance despite the fact that there is competent management team (Lowi 85-86). This is short of expectation of new political machines. If it were really a new order of power, everything should operate smoothly without any deficiencies. Third, the bureaucracy exists in new political machines just as it did in old ones. Political reforms did not do away with politics. This reveals that the organization and management of new machines are the same as the old machines. Although there is large numbers of new machines in different cities, they bureaucracy and poor governance characterizes this fresh order of doing things. The new machines advance irresponsibility in its structures of power. In spite of new political machines employment of agencies that recognizes professionalism and sound organization, there is still faults exist in the new order (Lowi 88). The independent agencies do not approach matters with a neutral attitude. In his essay, Theodore accepts that the new reforms have not altered the meaning of old machines. This is an illusion that change, which has occurred in style of governance, is very dismal to yield. Fourth, the leaders of new political machines enjoy support from traditions, forms of media such as newspapers, the enlightened people, and civil groups. This is not a different order of arrangements when one compares old political machines and new ones. These leaders continue with old practices of former political machines. For instance, Theodore portrays that cities such as New York displayed lack of efficiency despite ushering in Old Machines. The office of Mayor at that time was very weak which called for 1961 Charter review (Lowi 89). The Charter review empowered the Office of Mayor in very sound ways. Fifth, there are still welfare troubles that exist in many agencies in different cities. These problems are evident in Welfare, Hospitals, and Health. This is the same failure, which characterized old political machines. Theodore essay depicts that it has been more that forty years for New York mayors to adjust Department of Health to serve the concept of the new political machines. Theodore expresses fears and he is uncertain whether new political machines will set up programs to eradicate poverty. In addition, the new agencies have not contained air and water pollution. Organization of agencies such as Department of Public Works, Water Supply, Health, Parks, and Sanitation do not have sound programs to control pollution. This is a replica of old political machines because New York, one of the largest cities in US, did have effectives plan to combat pollution. The possible reason for indecent performance of these departments is that the new political machine absorbed people who had already worked in these areas. For instance, mayoral election of the year 1961 attracted candidates such as Commissioner of Sanitation (Lowi 88). Other candidates served as directors of city budgets in the old political machines. This was an implication that there were no meaningful reforms, which these leaders could bring to new political machines. Sixth, although new political machines have brought sanity to the running of the cities, but activities around and between agencies do not have good organization. According to Theodore essay, cities are in deep suffering. Most of activities of these cities have stagnated. For instance, there is no renewal of urban centers and its parking spaces. This is a depiction of unsound management of cities the new mayoral system of governance. Poor planning is evident in this new order of political machines portraying a replication of the old political machines. The procedure of election of mayors was almost the same as the old political machines. This is because election of mayor in old order entailed organizing districts, clubhouses, and counties (Lowi 89-90). The only thing that changed in the election was replacement of districts and clubhouses with new kinds of units. This portray that elimination of machines did not have any effect on political power. It is evident cities such as Chicago and New York have numerous problems. This includes traffic jams, slums, pollutions, juvenile delinquency, and deterioration of important services. Moreover, there is great weakening of public institutions that has resulted to unwanted violence and pressures. These problems extend beyond boundaries. They have affected education systems and invited ethnic maladjustment. New political machines are not very different from old ones. Structures and organizations are very similar in all aspects. The situation of political order in Chicago is a true refection of similarities between old and new political machines. Work Cited Lowi, Theodore. Political Machines-old and new. Web. 12 June 2012, from http://www.nationalaffairs.com/doclib/20080522_196700907machinepoliticsoldandnewtheodorejlowi.pdf . Read More