Since the Great Depression, the Rhode Island Democratic Party has dominated local politics. Rhode Island has comprehensive health insurance for low-income children, and a large social safety net. Because of this, many urban areas still have a high rate of children in poverty. Due to an influx of residents from Boston, increasing housing costs have resulted in more homeless in Rhode Island.

The Republican Party, virtually non-existent in the state legislature, has successfully put forward occasional state-wide "good government" reform

Reform

Reform means to put or change into an improved form or condition; to amend or improve by change of color or removal of faults or abuses, beneficial change, more specifically, reversion to a pure original state, to repair, restore or to correct....

 candidates who criticize the state's high taxes and the excesses of the Democratic Party. Former Governor Donald Carcieri

Donald Carcieri

Donald L. "Don" Carcieri was the 73rd Governor of the U.S. state of Rhode Island. Carcieri has had a varied vocational background, having worked as a manufacturing company executive, aid relief worker, bank executive and teacher.-Personal background:...

 of East Greenwich, and former Mayor Vincent A. "Buddy" Cianci of Providence (who later became an independent political boss, and was convicted on RICO

RICO

-Music:*Rico , a 2000 album by Matt Bianco*"Rico" , a 1998 song the Matthew Good Band from the album Underdogs*Rico International, a manufacturer of reeds, mouthpieces, and woodwind accessories...

 charges) ran as Republican reform candidates.

Prominent Democrats include House Speaker William Murphy, Senate President Joseph Montalbano, Providence Mayor David Cicilline

David Cicilline

David Nicola Cicilline is the U.S. Representative for . He is a member of the Democratic Party. He is formerly the Mayor of Providence, Rhode Island, and was the first openly gay mayor of a U.S. state capital.-Early life, education, and career:...

, Secretary of State A. Ralph Mollis

A. Ralph Mollis

A. Ralph Mollis is the current Secretary of State of Rhode Island. A member of the Democratic Party, he assumed office on January 1, 2007.-Career:Mollis attended St...

, General Treasurer Frank T. Caprio

Frank T. Caprio

Frank T. Caprio is a Managing Director at Chatham Capital a mezzanine finance firm with offices in Atlanta, Dallas and Providence. He had a twenty year political career which included being elected as the former General Treasurer of Rhode Island...

, Senate Majority Leader M. Teresa Paiva-Weed

M. Teresa Paiva-Weed

M. Teresa Paiva-Weed is a Democratic member of the Rhode Island Senate, representing the 13th District since 2002 and the 49th District from 1992 to 2002. In November 2008, she was elected President of the Senate...

, and Lt. Gov. Elizabeth H. Roberts

Elizabeth H. Roberts

Elizabeth H. Roberts is currently the Lieutenant Governor of the State of Rhode Island. She has served under Republican Governor Donald Carcieri and Independent Lincoln Chafee. She was elected as a Democrat in 2006, becoming the state's first female Lieutenant Governor.Roberts was born April 17,...

. In recent years, former Speaker of the House John Harwood, State Senator John Celona, and State Senate President William Irons were forced to resign amid scandals.