political boss

File:Boss tweed.jpg]]

In the politics of the United States of America, a boss is a person who controls a faction or local branch of a political party. They do not necessarily hold public office themselves; most historical bosses did not, at least during the times of their greatest influence. Numerous officeholders in that unit are subordinate to the single boss in party affairs. Bosses may base their power on the support of numerous voters, usually organized voting blocs, and manage a coalition of these blocs and various other stakeholders. When the party wins, they typically control appointments in their unit, and have a voice at the higher levels.

Reformers typically allege that political bosses are corrupt. This corruption is usually tied to patronage: the exchange of jobs, lucrative contracts and other political favors for votes, campaign contributions and sometimes outright bribes.

History

The appearance of bosses has been common since the Roman Republic and remains fairly common today. In Spanish America, Brazil, Spain, and Portugal political bosses called caciques hold power in many places,Robert Kern, The caciques: oligarchical politics and the system of caciquismo in the Luso-Hispanic world. Albuquerque, University of New Mexico Press [1973] while in Italy they are often referred to as ras.[http://ricerca.repubblica.it/repubblica/archivio/repubblica/2017/08/29/i-ras-del-voto-personale-che-ondeggiano-tra-gli-schieramentiPalermo05.html I ras del voto "personale" che ondeggiano tra gli schieramenti] Bosses were a major part of the political landscape during the 19th and early 20th centuries in the United States, such as the political machines of Tammany Hall in New York City and the Choctaw Club in New Orleans, which controlled financing of campaigns and influence via owing of favors to arrange patronage public appointments.

In the Southern United States, charismatic populist politicians like Huey Long commanded large networks of supporters. Similar practices existed in the northern cities, particularly New York City, where Boss Tweed (arguably the most infamous political boss) wielded control over the powerful Democratic political machine. In Denver, Colorado, during the 1890s Jefferson Randolph "Soapy" Smith operated as the Republican party boss and political fixer.

Charles Brayton exercised great influence over the politics of turn of the 20th century Rhode Island.John D. Buenker, "The Politics of Resistance: The Rural-Based Yankee Republican Machines of Connecticut and Rhode Island". New England Quarterly (1974): 212–237. He exemplified rural bossism within the Republican Party. Chicago had numerous colorful bosses, such as Democrats Hinky Dink and Bathhouse John, and Pat Marcy.Lloyd Wendt, and Herman Kogan, Lords of the Levee: The story of Bathhouse John and Hinky Dink (1944). Chicago's Republican counterparts included Big Bill Thompson, who became mayor in the 1920s.Douglas Bukowski, Big Bill Thompson, Chicago, and the politics of image (1998). One of Chicago's most iconic figures was longtime mayor and chairman of the Cook County Democratic Committee Richard J. Daley,Mike Royko, Boss: Richard J. Daley of Chicago (1971) who had a major voice in state and national Democratic politics. With a few exceptions in the Southwest, such as Phoenix, most large cities of 100,000 or more in the early 20th century had machine organizations, and usually claimed one or more local bosses, most of whom were Democrats. Some had a major impact and hold on state politics, such as E. H. Crump in Memphis, Tennessee.G. Wayne Dowdy, Mayor Crump Don't Like It: Machine Politics in Memphis (Univ. Press of Mississippi, 2006) A few bosses had reputations as reformers, such as Frank Hague of Jersey City.Mark S. Foster, "Frank Hague of Jersey City: 'The boss' as reformer." New Jersey History 86#2 (1968): 106–117.

Political bosses exist today. Politico in 2019 described insurance executive George Norcross as New Jersey's "most powerful unelected official", with "nearly uncontested control of South Jersey's Democratic machine".{{Cite news |last=Hutchins |first=Ryan |date=2019-05-21 |title=Governor's feud with party boss rocks New Jersey politics |language=en |work=Politico |url=https://www.politico.com/states/states/new-jersey/story/2019/05/21/governors-feud-with-party-boss-rocks-new-jersey-politics-1021356 |access-date=2023-03-04}}

An October 2020 article in The Bulwark argued that Donald Trump's appeal to white working-class voters in the 2016 United States presidential election was driven by the same kind of paternalistic and localist mentality that was exploited by the Democratic political bosses of the early 20th century.Stephanie Muravchik and Jon A. Shields, [https://thebulwark.com/the-other-democratic-party/ The Other Democratic Party], The Bulwark, October 4, 2020 An April 2022 New York Times article portrayed him as a modern party boss during his post-presidency.{{cite news|newspaper=The New York Times|last=Goldmacher|first=Shane|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2022/04/17/us/politics/trump-mar-a-lago.html|title=Mar-a-Lago Machine: Trump as a Modern-Day Party Boss|date=April 17, 2022}}

In popular culture

Boss Jim W. Gettys, portrayed by Ray Collins, is a secondary character in Citizen Kane and Charles Foster Kane's political rival for the post of Governor of New York.

The television series The Dukes of Hazzard (1979–1985) featured a character named Boss Hogg, played by Sorrell Booke.

Boss Tweed was portrayed by Philip Bosco in the 1986 TV movie Liberty, and by Jim Broadbent as a major supporting character in the 2002 film Gangs of New York.{{cite news|url=http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20021220/REVIEWS/212200304/1023|title=Gangs of New York|last=Ebert|first=Roger|date=2002-12-20|publisher=suntimes.com|access-date=2009-05-17|archive-date=2013-03-23|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130323232223/http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20021220/REVIEWS/212200304/1023|url-status=dead}} Tweed is portrayed as a defender of the rights of minorities and helper of those in need in Pete Hamill's 2003 novel Forever.

The HBO television series Boardwalk Empire (2010–2014) focuses on Enoch "Nucky" Thompson (based on the historical Enoch L. Johnson), a fictional Republican Party boss and gangster who controls Atlantic City, New Jersey during the Prohibition period (1920–1933).

Notable individuals

=In the United States=

Marion Barry (1936–2014)
Bob Brady (b. 1945)
Boss Cox (1853–1916)
Richard Croker (1843–1922)
Boss Crump (1874–1954)
Richard J. Daley (1902–1976)
Tom Dennison (1858–1934)
Carmine DeSapio (1908–2004)
Johnny Dougherty (b. 1960)
Meade Esposito (1907–1993)
M. Harvey Taylor (1876–1982)
James A. Farley (1888–1976)
Frank Hague (1876–1956)
William King Hale (1874–1962)
Boss Hesing (1823–1895)
William J. Jefferson (b. 1947)
Enoch L. Johnson (1883–1968)
Huey Long (1893–1935)
Joseph M. Margiotta (1927–2008)
John J. McClure (1886–1965)
Michael Cassius McDonald (1839 – 1907)
Alexander McKenzie (politician) (1851–1922)
Hugh McLaughlin (1827–1904)
George Norcross (b. 1956)
Daniel P. O'Connell (1885–1977)
Tom Pendergast (1873–1945)
Frank Rizzo (1920–1991)
Alexander Robey Shepherd (1835–1902)
D. C. Stephenson (1891–1966)
John F. Street (b. 1943)
Boss Tweed (1823–1878)
William Scott Vare (1867–1934)
John S. Williams (1835–1887)

=In the United Kingdom=

Archibald Salvidge (1863–1928)

political boss

History

In popular culture

Notable individuals

=In the United States=

=In the United Kingdom=

See also

References

Further reading