Urban Problems and Politics

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Urban Problems and Politics
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Urban Problems

• Rapid urbanization, or people moving to the
  cities, caused a large growth in population for
  most American cities.
• Led to increased amounts of crime, violence, fire
  disease and pollution.
• Native Born Americans often blamed these issues
  on immigrants.
• Formed organizations and gangs designed to
  discriminate against immigrants called Nativists.
• The Nativists felt that because they were born in
  America and were ethnically and religiously in
  the majority (WASP) they were in control
• Feared with more Catholic and Jewish immigration
  they would lose that majority and Catholics and
  Jews would become elected government officials
  and put their beliefs on the American people.
• In reality, the crime rate for immigrants was not
  significantly higher than that of Native born
  Americans.

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Urban Problems (continued)

• Alcohol did contribute to violent crime in the
  cities, and would become a front in the reform
  movement.
• Also created a source of discrimination between
  the natives and immigrants, as alcohol was more
  accepted in the Catholic community than the
  Protestant.
• Pollution remained a problem and became an even
  bigger threat to city dwellers.
• Improper sewage disposal contaminated city
  drinking water causing epidemics of typhoid fever
  and cholera.
• Even further, horse waste was left in the
  streets, smoke spewed from chimneys and soot and
  ash accumulated from coal and wood fires.

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Urban Politics

• Another problem that had arisen from increased
  urbanization lied within city governments.
• Political Machines an informal political group
  designed to gain and keep power.
• Party Bosses heads of the political machines
• Would provide new city dwellers with needed jobs,
  housing, food, heat and police protection.
• Patronage Gave government jobs to those who
  contributed to the political machine, not always
  to who was best qualified.

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Urban Politics (continued)

• Graft and Fraud
• Party bosses often ran the citys finances as
  well
• Often would obtain money through dishonest or
  questionable means called graft or fraud.
• Would accept bribes from contractors that were
  competing for a government job.
• This eliminates competition and keeps the most
  efficient contractor from getting the job.