Political Corruption Has A Lasting Impression On New York City

“Corruption, improper and usually unlawful conduct intended to secure a benefit for oneself or another its forms include bribery, extortion, and the misuse of inside information. It exists where there is community indifference or a lack of enforcement policies.”(Encyclopedia Britannica). Today political Corruption in all forms exists in every country in the world. In some countries it is more prominent then in others, but no matter where you go it still occurs. Recently in mid 2013 some political corruption was brought to light in New York. “Since 2007, state senators have been more likely to be arrested then to lose their seats in a general election,” (New York Public Interest Research group). In April of 2013 New York State

Whether or not the politics of the Gilded Age failed in dealing with social and economic issues has long been debated by historians. Peeling away streaks of gold plastered on the deficiencies of the time, the cause of such problems can be unveiled. In finding a blame for the corruption within the growing economy and its demands on a wavering society, all fingers point to the politics of the Gilded Age.

After the soaring ideals and tremendous sacrifices of the Civil War, the post-War era of the United States was generally one of political disillusionment. Even as the continent expanded and industrialized, political life in the Gilded Age was marked by ineptitude and stalemate as passive, rather than active, presidents merely served as figureheads to be manipulated rather than enduring strongholds. As politicians from both the White House to the courthouse were deeply entangled in corruption and scandal during the Gilded Age, the actual economic and social issues afflicting urbanizing America festered beneath the surface without being seriously addressed.

Politician in the gilded age which was from 870 to 1910. America’s industrial economy exploded generating unprecedented opportunities for individuals to build great fortune, but also leaving many farmers and workers merely for survival. The growth in the economy supported materialism and political corruption. In the gilded age, politics were corrupted by politicians who bribed and gave high hour government jobs to their supporters. Politicians wanted to be elected for different positions used bribe and problems of the city as ways to promise the city different things for them in order to get elected but when elected, they refuse to fulfill their promises. Most of these promises were made to the lower class immigrants. Also, they have people working for them, to form a sort of support, promising things to people when voted in, they decide who will do certain jobs for the city. They have business where they charge excess and then they get to share the money between the workers and themselves. Even though most cities were “ruled by corrupt political machines unresponsive to urban problems, progressives rallied for “good”

Discuss Politics in the Gilded Age. Include major political events and issues, and the roles of the “bloody shirt,” corruption, patronage, and reform movements.

Known as the spoils system, politicians would appoint friends who were not qualified to handle these jobs in order to gain favors and exert control (Lecture Notes 1/27/16). Low class workers were bullied into voting for candidates that they did not want. Democracy was not a very prevalent theme during the Gilded Age. The most famous of all political corruption rings was “Tammany Hall,” “It was the Democratic Party political machine that played a major role in controlling New York City and New York State politics and helping immigrants, most notably the Irish, rise up in American politics.” (Boundless. “Politics in the Gilded Age.” Boundless U.S. History. Boundless, 21 Jul. 2015. Retrieved 01 Mar. 2016)

Corruption in the United States government takes the power away from the people and puts it into the hands of elite groups and politicians. This corruption is prevalent in the film “Mr. Smith goes to Washington”. The film has a strong message about corruption in the government, and places an innocent and naïve character, Mr. Smith in the middle of the corruption. In Washington, Mr. Smith discovers the corruption that has overtaken the capitol, but does not let it falter his integrity. Although Mr. Smith is surrounded by corruption, he is able to fight the system and bring some integrity back to Washington.

In this paper I will discuss the history of the NYPD Corruption. I will address the founding of the department in 1845 and a few early scandals. The New York City Police Department officially is the largest municipal police force in the United States Established in 1845, the agency has primary responsibilities in law enforcement and investigation within the five boroughs of New York City.The NYPD is one of the oldest police departments established in the U.S tracing its roots back to the seventeenth century. The NYPD has specialized services, including the Emergency Service Unit, K9, harbor patrol, air support, bomb disposal, counter-terrorism, criminal intelligence, anti-gang, anti-organized crime, narcotics, public transportation and public

The Gilded age was the period in U.S. history where politics had caused a halt in social advancement. The Robber Barons had become so rich and powerful that the country had plunged into an era of corruption. As illustrated in Joseph Keppler’s , “The Bosses of the Senate,” the monopolies of the rich had garnered immense influence in the government, effectively removing the people

Amidst the late 19th century, the rise of political machines tantalized the longing, from many, for a post-Civil War reconstruction which would have been punctuated by an ethical, aiding government. The aforementioned political machines were small networks which offered services to voters in exchange for economic or political gains. While these groups aided many groups, including immigrants, many political machines fell victim to corruption. The reason being, once the candidates from said machine came into office, these men would use their political standing for personal gain. For instance in the case of the Tweed Ring Scandal, William Tweed, the boss of the Democratic political machine, headed a group of politicians who sought to defraud New York. The provided excerpt, which outlines one scheme which was orchestrated by Mr. Tweed, reads “One scheme, the construction of the New York County Courthouse, involved extravagant graft. The project cost taxpayers $13 million, while

Boss Tweed is the best example of machine politics. He was in charge of the “Tweed Ring” in New York City. Machine politics worked wonderful in New York City where the Irish stuck together and used machine politics to their advantage(Mandlebaum 28). Tweed gained control over the police officers allowing him to exercise control over contracts of jobs. The Tweed Ring stole more than two hundred million dollars from the city and state (Mandelbaum 97). In 1872, the New York Times exposed and the lawyer Samuel Tilden exposed Tweed and destroyed his career (Mandelbaum 199).

The political machine is very powerful in the city and because of how powerful it is that urban United States was able to develop so much and increase in power in the late 1800’s and early 1900’s. A political machine is system of political organization based on patronage, the spoils system, and political ties. Sometimes political machines have a boss and sometimes they may not have a boss, and always have a corps of workers who depend on the patronage given by government contracts and jobs. Machine politics has existed in many United States cities for a long time now, but are still in effect in some areas.

New York City during the Gilded Age experienced a transformation on society that would leave a lasting effect on all aspects of the city. During this era in New York City, the idea of politics and its characters developed into some of the modern definitions that citizens still see in government today. The political corruption that consumed politics during this time period became a staple in New York City society. The word corruption gives the tactics of politicians in the Gilded Age a reputation that is filled with destructive and harmful methods that were unbeneficial to society. In reality, not all of the strategies of these politicians resulted in poor outcomes. Through questionable political tactics, officials used their power to negatively and positively push New York City into the 1900s, which would lead to political activism by the city’s people looking for change. Tammany Hall was one of the most influential political machines that directly impacted the people and society of New York City at this time, and exemplified what it meant to be a corrupt institution that helped positive change happen.

Chapter 23: The "Bloody Shirt" Elects Grant Post-Civil War Reconstruction: Andrew Johnson was impeached and the Democrats/Republicans both nominated new candidates (Democrats - Horatio Seymour and Republicans - Ulysses S. Grant) Election of 1868: Grant was nominated by Republicans despite his lack of political experience (a war general) Due to his popularity in the North he had around 300,000 more popular votes than his opponent (turning point was the 500,000 votes of Blacks given to Grant: Republicans protected the voting rights of the freedmen) 15th amendment: Republicans passed this amendment to secure black voting rights...stated that states cannot prohibit a citizen’s right to vote despite race and color Republicans believed for continued

Corruption within the New York Police Department is a quickly growing phenomenon; to an extent, this is largely due to the cop culture that encourages silence and draws the line at honesty. The good, honest officers are afraid to speak up against co-workers and in the process become corrupt themselves. When police departments were first established in the mid-nineteenth century, corruption quickly followed suit. It began with minor acts of misconduct and today deals with serious criminal activities. Scholars have noted that there is a strong correlation between the officers taking part in corrupt acts and officers wanting to fit in with the culture. In this paper, I argue that the deeper an officer in the New York police department gets into the police culture, the more likely it is that they become involved in narcotic corruption