Overall, this is a fascinating look at how what originally was intended as breaking down corruption and opening up participation to the masses had some unintend

Overall, this is a fascinating look at how what originally was intended as breaking down corruption and opening up participation to the masses had some unintended consequences. I found the following paragraph particularly salient: >> In the 20th century, the boss system selected such presidents as Theodore Roosevelt, Woodrow Wilson, Franklin Roosevelt, Harry Truman, Dwight Eisenhower and John Kennedy. I was struck at how a self-evidently corrupt and undemocratic system would have selected such impressive candidates (albeit along with Warren Harding and other less impressive ones). The system should not have worked, but on the whole, it worked better than we might have imagined. I leave to others to judge how these compare to post-reform candidates like Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan, George H.W. Bush, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush or Barack Obama. Kennedy and Roosevelt were the epitome of boss driven politicians, and while many argue over how effective they actually were, no one can argue that were not highly influential. I'm personally a fan of Coolidge as well. In the modern system, only Reagan and Clinton seem likely to be remembered by history as peers of the Presidents on the first list, and both of them are regarded as some of the most historically charismatic politicians of all time. Very interesting.