Very large aggregates of Germans, Poles, Bohemians, Swedes, Italians, et al were urban and mostly Catholic, but they tended to give up their chances at pre-eminence in return for steady jobs and a move to the suburbs. Afro-Americans arrived late in their larger numbers. Not until the 1960's did they play a considerable role. Overall, the cities were the creatures of the rurally dominated state legislatures until the 1960's and it took the rest of the century to purge the influence, yet still without full formal equality, given, for instance, the U.S. Senate with its heavy rural bias coming from guaranteeing each State two seats, and the House of Representatives from assuring every State the minimum of a single Representative. As happened often in the social revolutions of Europe, the privileged classes in America contributed disproportionately large numbers to the leadership of the cities.
Liberals put more trust in the ill-defined masses than did their own class and rural relatives.
A great many incorruptible and honest characters were to be found in the general setting of corruption and criminality.