Question

Why did so many immigrants vote for leaders who were affiliated with political machines?

a) Political machines catered to the needs of the immigrants.
b) Political machines provided protection for business owners.
c) Political machines threatened the immigrants when they arrived.
d) Political machines were the same ethnicity or religion as the immigrants.

Answer 1

Immigrants often supported a) political machines because they provided timely solutions to community issues in return for political support, despite being involved in corrupt practices like graft.

Step-by-step explanation:

Many immigrants voted for leaders who were affiliated with political machines because these machines catered to the needs of the immigrants by providing immediate solutions to their problems, such as sanitation issues or the need for sidewalks.

Political corruption was rampant, and political machines like Tammany Hall operated by making timely interventions in community issues in exchange for political support.

Although such machines were often involved in corrupt activities like graft and voter manipulation, they offered practical relief to urban Americans, especially immigrants.

By addressing everyday challenges that were otherwise bogged down in the bureaucratic processes of the city hall.