During the political era of policing in the United States, police were closely aligned with which group?

• A. Federal agencies
• B. Local politicians
• C. Corporate executives
• D. Religious leaders

Answer: (B)

During the political era of policing, departments operated as arms of city government and the local political machines that ran it. Officers were often hired, promoted, and protected based on loyalty to the party bosses rather than merit, and they enforced laws and controlled streets to help those political entities stay in power. This tight, instrumental relationship with local politicians is what defines that era’s police work.

That’s why the best answer is the group associated with local politicians. Federal agencies weren’t the controlling force in city policing at the time, corporate executives didn’t centrally direct police departments in the way the political machines did, and religious leaders, while influential in their communities, weren’t the primary power brokers behind policing during this period.