Is political patronage the dark underbelly of American politics, whose practitioners are fortunate to keep one step ahead of the sheriff? Or is it an essential ingredient of effective governance, rewarding and cementing loyalty while greasing the gears of government?

Political patronage—awarding discretionary favors in exchange for political support—is alive and well in twenty-first-century America. But patronage has changed. Instead of the Christmas turkey, political leaders now reward political supporters with billion-dollar contracts, and they have outsourced everything from garbage collection to national security.

This new landscape is what the Tolchins call “pinstripe patronage,” and it includes the privatization of services previously conducted by government; earmarks, which are government grants specified for the use of an individual, corporation, or community; and the expansion of hybrid agencies, with highly paid salaries for top executives. “Pinstripe patronage” benefits those more at home in a boardroom than an assembly line, and it often affects foreign policy more than domestic policy.

The patronage system is the way that things have worked for a long time—in politics and government, the business community, and even in families. But in the wake of travesties in Iraq, Afghanistan, and on the world economic scene, seasoned political writers Susan and Marty Tolchin contend it may be time to trade pinstripes for prison stripes and to snap some suspenders.