Summary Of Boss By Richard Daley

The book Boss: Richard J. Daley of Chicago, is the perfect representation of maintaining close to an absolute power. Richard J. Daley served as the pinnacle of Chicago and Cook County politics, and he achieved this through a mixture of patronage and payback. For those who were Daley’s friends and political allies would reak the benefits from Daley while he bestowed vengeance on anyone who opposed him. Daley played a game of politics that was unique to Cook County and Chicago but took storm when he was elected as mayor. Throughout the book, the reader understands the strong role that patronage has in controlling Chicago. In a simple way of explaining it is comparing it the phrase “ carrot and stick”. This is a metaphor used to describe a combination
of reward and punishment to achieve the desired behavior. For example, Daley would use a threat like withholding lucrative contracts for city projects or ignore local officials on pressing needs in the communities if they don't support him politically. These threats seemed as the natural order of business and Daley was very impressive in preserving his allies’ political positions by using ultimatums. Richard Daley served as a corrupt mayor that held tight ties to all areas of Chicago's government. Like with his relationship with the police. The city of Chicago had an ongoing problem within its police department of corruption but was never a problem Daley addressed. It seemed as though the police served to Daley as he was willing to protect the department.Overall, Daley lasted 20 years as the pinnacle of Chicago and Cook County through manipulating bureaucracy and politicians using a system of patronage and threats.