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6 results for “machine politics”
storyDavid L. Lawrence: The Mayor Who Understood the MachineDavid L. Lawrence modernized Pittsburgh machine politics as Democratic leader and mayor — organization that reached from ward captains to Renaissance-era power.HistoryDavid L. LawrencePittsburgh mayor
storyThe Showman In The Council ChamberPittsburgh politics has always rewarded performance. A council member who could command a room and produce a headline often mattered as much as the ordinance on the desk.Historycity councilpolitics
storyThe Taverns Where The Walls Kept ScoreThe poker machine did not have to spit out coins to become a gambling device. In Pittsburgh-area taverns, the payout could happen at the cash register.Historygamblingvideo poker
storyThe Precinct Captain’s Little Black BookBefore voter databases and campaign apps, political intelligence lived in notebooks, kitchens, saloons, union halls, and the memory of a precinct captain. The captain knew who had moved.Historyward politicsprecinct captain
storyThe Three Rivers Had A Fourth Current: CashPittsburgh’s maps show three rivers, but an older power structure moved on a fourth current: cash that rarely appeared in ledgers — through mills, ward clubs, and protected rooms.Historypittsburgh historycorruption
storyWho Really Owned The City?No single organization owned Pittsburgh. The city was governed through competition among institutions powerful enough to control different parts of life. Industrial corporations controlled capital.Historypowercorruption