Final answer:
The power of political machines increased due to rapid industrialization, urbanization, and the ability to offer services and jobs in exchange for votes, amid widespread corruption and the exploitation of inflated populations in cities during the Gilded Age.
Step-by-step explanation:
The power of political machines increased in the late nineteenth century due to several factors. During this era, commonly known as the Gilded Age, rapid industrialization and urbanization led to larger city populations with many impoverished workers and immigrants.
Political machines offered solutions to these constituents' immediate problems, such as jobs, housing, or infrastructure improvements like sidewalks, in exchange for their votes. This patronage system was facilitated by widespread corruption, such as bribery, fraud, and intimidation.
Organizations like New York City's Tammany Hall, led by William 'Boss' Tweed, are examples of such machines. They provided timely solutions for their constituents and ensured political support for their candidates.
As a result, even though the ballots and elections were rife with corruption, and votes could be bought or coerced, political machines managed to gain and keep power by presenting themselves as providers of necessary services and as defenders of the working class.