Richard M. Daley

Richard M. Daley was elected mayor on April 4, 1989 after stins as a state senator and county prosecutor. He has been reelected in 1991, 1995, 1999 and 2003 by overwhelming margins. Richard Michael Daley was born in Chicago on April 24, 1942 as the fourth of seven children and the eldest son of the Mayor Richard J. Daley. Being the son of one of the most famous and controversial mayors, some consider it no surprise that he has found himself in the middle of dubious scandal and a hero and victim of machine politics.

Mayor Richard M. Daley has much of the same agenda of his father, albeit with a different approach than dad. Richard J. Daley's focus concerned important national issues like civil rights and local issues like reviving the city. Richard M. Daley, the son's agenda has less of a focus on national issues and a much increased focus on civic improvements of the city. Richard M. Daley may not have the same time of national power to control presidential elections like his father, but his reign over Chicago is just as strong. The democratic political machine that is Chicago is still in effect in different ways.

A political machine, or machine politics, refers to the unofficial system of organization based on patronage, spoils system, and a behind-the-scenes control within the structure of a representative democracy. "Site the paper" People believe both good and bad things of political machines. Some claim it deforms the idea of a representative democracy and can foster corruption. Others claim that the machines are highly efficient and the rule of a benevolent boss can accomplish much more than a system without a boss, the head of a political machine.