Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
Wiktionary
n. (context US English) A local political organization that controls a large number of personal votes and can therefore exert political influence
WordNet
n. a group that controls the activities of a political party; "he was endorsed by the Democratic machine" [syn: machine]
Wikipedia
A political machine is a political organization in which an authoritative boss or small group commands the support of a corps of supporters and businesses (usually campaign workers), who receive rewards for their efforts. The machine's power is based on the ability of the workers to get out the vote for their candidates on election day.
Although these elements are common to most political parties and organizations, they are essential to political machines, which rely on hierarchy and rewards for political power, often enforced by a strong party whip structure. Machines sometimes have a political boss, often rely on patronage, the spoils system, "behind-the-scenes" control, and longstanding political ties within the structure of a representative democracy. Machines typically are organized on a permanent basis instead of for a single election or event. The term may have a pejorative sense referring to corrupt political machines.
The term "political machine" dates back to the 20th century in the United States, where such organizations have existed in some municipalities and states since the 18th century. Similar machines have been described in Latin America, where the system has been called clientelism or political clientelism (after the similar Clientela relationship in the Roman Republic), especially in rural areas, and also in some African states and other emerging democracies, like postcommunist Eastern European countries. Japan's Liberal Democratic Party is often cited as another political machine, maintaining power in suburban and rural areas through its control of farm bureaus and road construction agencies. In Japan, the word jiban (literally "base" or "foundation") is the word used for political machine.
Usage examples of "political machine".
In the second place, the Pope lived in Italy and as the head of a vast political machine, which owned land and serfs and buildings and forests and rivers and conducted courts of law, he was in constant receipt of a great deal of money.
The New York Times, National Public Radio and 60 Minutes, the infotainment flagship of the CBS network, all announced that Robertson and his Coalition were finis, his political machine sunk.
I therefore surrender to you, in order to make my firepower available to you, so that I might fulfill my mission and bring about the wholesale destruction of Vittori Santorini and the POPPA military and political machine he spent twenty years constructing.
With remarkable skill, Hearst had created his own political machine within New York State, and now he was prepared to seize the governorship, with Blaise's help.
H had become a part of this slick, highly tuned political machine, am the knowledge was a little daunting.
Yet, though ridiculed by the press and slandered unmercifully by bis enemies, he had come out on top in a very crooked election and he could control a political machine better than any person in the state had ever controlled one, and he was worth over four million dollars.
Malone staffed these expanded and greatly changed corps from his home state political machine.