Money and Machine Politics

Abstract

Machine coalitions use their influence to reward supporters with public goods. In this article, the author examines the link between machine coalitions and corporate and labor contributions in Chicago city council elections. He argues that machine coalition members are at a strategic advantage relative to those outside of it, all things being equal. The results of Tobit regression models applied to both nonincumbent and incumbent candidates support the theory. In practice, what it means in Chicago is that Whites and Latinos are favored over Blacks in the increasingly important quest for campaign money.