Tammany contracts were favors binding loyalty, not formal agreements

Evidence

Moses prepared for his career by passing examinations and writing a thesis; Smith prepared for his by executing contracts. A “contract,” to Tammany Hall, was something to be done, an assurance to a local undertaker that Tammany would pay for a loyal Democrat’s funeral even if his family could not, a discreet visit to a brothel to warn of an upcoming police raid or to police headquarters to ease business-cramping parking restrictions in front of a liquor store belonging to a heavy campaign contributor. — Robert A. Caro, The Power Broker, 506

Categorization

• DEFINE: Explains the Tammany-specific meaning of ‘contract’ as a favor or informal service, not what the word usually denotes.
• XREF: connects to: Contract enforcement replaces rather than constitutes trust between parties — Russell Hardin, Trust and Trustworthiness, 251; Cheap legal contracts still depend on extralegal reputation bonds — Lisa Bernestein, Opting out of the Legal System, 140

Broader Connections

• Contract enforcement replaces rather than constitutes trust between parties #exemplifies (0.72) — Russell Hardin, Trust and Trustworthiness, 251
• Cheap legal contracts still depend on extralegal reputation bonds #complicates (0.72) — Lisa Bernestein, Opting out of the Legal System, 140