ABSTRACT
In the days of machine politics, New York did a creditable job of assimilating and educating millions of immigrants and building a solid infrastructure of transportation, water and sewage facilities, parks, and colleges. In their creative schemes to hide the real costs of government, governors and legislators have created a rich array of new institutions to confuse and complicate the administrative process. The bureaucratic redundancies, overlapping local governments, and increasing layers of auditors and supervisors come at a price. When party systems are weak, there is a tendency for interest groups to provide supplementary system of representation known as pluralism. The most fundamental premise of a democratic polity is that the citizens have the power to throw the rascals out. Despite some important reforms in campaign finance, particularly those improving reporting requirements, the system in New York remains badly flawed, but the problem transcends the legislature.
