Which term describes organized corruption in city governments that traded favors for votes?

• A. Political Machines
• B. Prohibition
• C. Pearl Harbor
• D. Reconstruction

Answer: (A)

When a city government uses favors and control to win votes through patronage, it describes political machines. These powerful party organizations dominated urban politics by trading jobs, contracts, and services for electoral support. They built networks that provided help—like jobs or favors—to supporters, especially within immigrant communities, in exchange for votes, creating a self-reinforcing system of influence. The famous examples, such as Tammany Hall in New York, show how such machines could sway city policy and elections by turning loyalty into political favors. The other options don’t fit this idea: Prohibition was about banning alcohol, Pearl Harbor was a WWII attack, and Reconstruction was the post-Civil War era focused on rebuilding the South and civil rights.