HOW TO SPEAK

1. HOW TO SPEAK CHICAGO POLITICS

2. BOSS • An unofficial title for the Mayor, the highest political office in the city • Originally the Mayor had relatively little power compared to aldermen, but over time, greater power was consolidated in this office. • The Mayor is widely viewed as the BOSS of the city or the political “machine.” • The Mayor oversees such entities as the school board, the police, the fire department, and the park district.

3. MACHINE POLITICS • As opposed to a two-party system of competitive politicking, Machine Politics revolves around a centralized, one-party system. • In return for votes, politicians dispense services and jobs to their supporters. • Very hierarchical, the machine extends from the City Hall to the Wards to the Precincts.

4. CITY COUNCIL • The “legislative” branch of city government. • The City Council is composed of 50 wards, overseen by aldermen/alderwomen. • In addition to passing legislation affecting the entire city, aldermen/alderwomen are largely responsible for organizing the delivery of services to the residents of their wards. • The wards in Chicago do not correspond to neighborhood boundaries, but are often drawn by racial and ethnic boundaries.

5. COUNCIL WARS • Now and again, the city council can become quite acrimonious, with bitter infighting and disagreements resulting in little being done. • Council Wars, most famously in the 1980s, often arise from different factions of aldermen based on race or geography. • “Blocks” of aldermen will fight against the desires of other aldermen or even the initiatives of the mayor.

6. ALDERMANIC PRIVILEGE By tradition, an alderman or woman has the authority to approve of certain real estate and business developments in their ward, particularly if zoning changes are required. Since the entire council needs to sign off on a zoning change, other aldermen will usually defer to the wishes of the alderman in whose ward the development will be. During “council wars,” this deference is usually among the first casualties.

7. PATRONAGE • The mayor, the aldermen/women, and heads of departments (fire, police, parks, schools, streets & sanitation) often appoint people to governmental positions as rewards for political and financial support or in recognition of family and friendship ties. • The opposite of merit appointments, this form of staffing the city is called patronage and gives rise to many charges of corruption in local government.

8. CLOUT • Borrowed from baseball (clout meant a powerful hit), Chicago politicians gave the term political meaning in the mid-twentieth century as political machines were forming. • Clout is now a political term meaning the ability to get the ear of someone in political power and persuade them to align with your interests.

9. The “FIX” • More “democratic” than clout, which was often the domain of the elite. • Especially during the 20th century, many Chicagoans of all strips turned to any politician or government office holder, including police, to “fix” a problem for them by making it “go away.” The problem was commonly a ticket or fine. • In return, Chicagoans would remain loyal to the powers-that-be.

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