Which statement best describes the functioning of party machines in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries?

A. Parties provided cash handouts to rural electorates in exchange for jobs.

B. Parties provided policy support to rural electorates in exchange for votes.

C. Parties provided patronage jobs to loyal supporters, especially in urban areas.

D. Parties provided jobs to rural electorates in exchange for votes.

Option D, Parties provided jobs to urban electorates in exchange for votes and kickbacks, is the right answer.

Explanation:

The term Party Machine implies a type of political party organization which heavily relies on material incentives to win the votes. In this system, the campaign workers receive various types of rewards (i. e. government jobs, money etc.) for their effort. Such machinery is used by the government to get the attention of the people of their state or nation. One such example of Party Machine can be taken from the history of the United States, where, the Democratic Party, distributed food and jobs to the poor and immigrants in return for their votes.