ABSTRACT
This chapter outlines the contours and dynamics of the "machine model" in comparative perspective and attempts to show that the social context that fostered "machine politics" in the United States is more or less present in many of the new states. This is done by first sketching the general character of "machine politics," then by suggesting a developmental model to account for the machine, and finally by analyzing the decline of the machine in the United States. Given this sort of social context, the price of effective political cooperation involves meeting narrow, particularistic demands, often through the patronage, favors, and corruption that are the hallmarks of machine politics. The distinctive style of political coordination embodied in the machine has historically occurred in settings where, in addition to rapid social change and a competitive electoral system, political power was fragmented, ethnic cleavage, social disorganization or both were widespread, and most of the population was poor.
