<P> This system of political control--known as "bossism"--emerged particularly in the Gilded Age . A single powerful figure (the boss) was at the center and was bound together to a complex organization of lesser figures (the political machine) by reciprocity in promoting financial and social self - interest . One of the most infamous of these political machines was Tammany Hall, the Democratic Party machine that played a major role in controlling New York City and New York politics and helping immigrants, most notably the Irish, rise up in American politics from the 1790s to the 1960s . From 1872, Tammany had an Irish "boss". However, Tammany Hall also served as an engine for graft and political corruption, perhaps most notoriously under William M. "Boss" Tweed in the mid-19th century . </P> <P> Lord Bryce describes these political bosses saying: </P> <P> An army led by a council seldom conquers: It must have a commander - in - chief, who settles disputes, decides in emergencies, inspires fear or attachment . The head of the Ring is such a commander . He dispenses places, rewards the loyal, punishes the mutinous, concocts schemes, negotiates treaties . He generally avoids publicity, preferring the substance to the pomp of power, and is all the more dangerous because he sits, like a spider, hidden in the midst of his web . He is a Boss . </P> <P> When asked if he was a boss, James Pendergast said simply, </P>

When did political parties arise in the united states