Before the turn of the century strong political parties were a prominent feature of American cities. These party machines, as they were called, recruited citizens, especially new immigrants, to vote for their party. These organizations were not particularly ideological; instead, they recruited through an elaborate system of patronage run by “bosses.” Those who supported the party were rewarded with jobs or other services. Party machines were largely eliminated at the turn of the century by the Progressive movement, a group consisting largely of upper middle-class reformers determined to clean up city politics.