Rainbow's End

Erie traces how Irish-American political machines rose, expanded and eventually declined in six cities: New York, Jersey City, Chicago, San Francisco, Pittsburgh and Albany. His account draws on political economy and historical sociology to explain how these organizations developed over time.

The study looks closely at how city and state politics interacted, and at how the machines shaped ethnic and working-class political life. It also asks why strong, centralized party organizations did not form in Boston and Philadelphia, even though both cities had large Irish populations.

The book closes with a extended look at what machine politics means for urban minority communities today.