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The Pendergast Machine

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There are numerous examples of the classical political machine. In this case, we observe the Pendergast machine of Kansas City. The book describes well how the Pendergasts rose and became major figures in Kansas City politics. At their peak of power, they had influence at the state and national level.

The book illustrates, at one level, how a machine operated. The politics of favoritism. Give favors to poor residents and gain thjeir political loyalty. Provide favors to powerful interests (graft, allowing prostitution for kickbacks, preventing prosecution of speakeasy owners during Prohibition if they provided money to the machine, and so on).

This book describes the development of the Pendergast machine, their machinations against other Democratic challengers for power, the efforts to gain power not just at the local but at the state level. Indeed, as a way of maintaining surface respectability, the machine later supported Harry Truman, who was not corrupt and was allowed to discharge his duties fairly by the machine!

The rise and decline of the machine is told well.