What is a typical tactic of a political machine?

• A. Offers service to votes and businesses in exchange for political or financial support
• B. Runs clean campaigns with transparent financing
• C. Gives equal power to all parties regardless of influence
• D. Promotes term limits to reduce corruption

Answer: (A)

A political machine stays in power by trading favors for support. The typical tactic is offering services and access—such as jobs, licenses, contracts, social services, or other help—to voters and local businesses in exchange for political loyalty and votes. This patronage creates a network that benefits supporters directly and binds communities to the machine, making it harder for reformers to dislodge it. It’s not about running clean campaigns or sharing power equally; those approaches undermine machine-style control. Likewise, promoting term limits aims to curb machine influence, not perpetuate it, so it isn’t a tactic a machine uses to stay powerful.