Understanding Urban Politics
Institutions, Representation, and Policies
- Textbook
Understanding Urban Politics
Institutions, Representation, and Policies
- Textbook
Description
In Understanding Urban Politics: Institutions, Representation, and Policies, Timothy B. Krebs and Arnold Fleischmann introduce a framework that focuses on the role of institutions in establishing the political “rules of the game,” the representativeness of city government, the influence of participation in local democracy, and how each of these features influences the adoption and implementation of public policies. Part 1 lays the groundwork for the rest of the book by exploring the many meanings of “urban,” analyzing what local governments do, and providing a history of American urban development.
Part 2 examines the organizations and procedures that are central to urban politics and policy making: intergovernmental relations, local legislatures, and the local executive branch. Part 3 looks at elections and voting, local campaigns, and non-voting forms of participation. The four chapters in Part 4 focus on the policy process and the delivery of local services, local government finances, “Building the City” (economic development, land use, and housing), and policies affecting the quality of life (public safety, the environment, “morality” issues, and urban amenities).
Krebs and Fleischmann bolster students’ learning and skills with guiding questions at the start of each chapter, which ends with key terms, a summary, discussion questions, and research exercises. The appendix and website aid these efforts, as does a website for instructors.
Table of Contents
About the Authors
Part 1: Laying the Groundwork
Chapter 1: Studying Urban Politics
First Things First: What is ‘Urban,’ Anyway?What’s Different about Local Government and Politics?Types of U.S. Local Governments and What They DoThe World of Local Governments
Chapter 2: The Development of Urban America through World War II
History as a Lens for Understanding Urban PoliticsPre-industrial CitiesUrban Development from the 1870s to World War IThe 1920s through World War II
Chapter 3: Urban Development after World War II
Suburbanization and Minority Concentration in Central CitiesPostwar Urban Development and PoliticsNew Urban Regions and Groups in the Late 20th CenturyUrban Development in the 21st Century
Part 2: Local Institutions
Chapter 4: Dealing with Other Governments at the National, State, and Local Levels
Local Governments in the American Federal SystemState Limits on Local GovernmentsFederal Efforts to Influence Local GovernmentsDealing with Other Governments
Chapter 5: Local Legislatures
Institutional Context of Local LegislaturesThe Functions of City CouncilsRepresenting Constituents
Chapter 6: Mayors and Executives
The Context of Mayoral LeadershipMayoral Leadership: Formal and Informal Sources of PowersCity Managers and AdministratorsThe Urban BureaucracyLocal Constitutional Officers
Part 3: Participation and Representation in Local Politics
Chapter 7: Elections and Voting
Urban Electoral ProcessVoter Turnout in Urban ElectionsVoter Choice in Urban Elections
Chapter 8: Candidates and Campaigns
From Group-Based to Candidate-Centered ElectionsInstitutional Context of Urban Candidates and CampaignsUrban Campaigns
Chapter 9: Non-Voting Forms of Participation
Non-Voting Forms of Participation in Urban PoliticsCitizen ContactingPolitical Parties and Urban Interest GroupsPolitical CampaigningProtests and RebellionsVoting with Your Feet
Part 4: Local Government Policies
Chapter 10: Local Government Policy Making and Services
The Policy ProcessTypes of PoliciesProviding Local ServicesAlternative Service Methods
Chapter 11: Local Government Finances
Local Government SpendingLocal Government Revenue SourcesLocal Government Budgeting
Chapter 12: Building the City: Economic Development, Land Use, & Housing Policies
Economic Development PoliciesLand UseHousingCritical Issues in the Shaping of Urban America
Chapter 13: Policies to Promote Quality of Life
Public SafetyEnvironmental PoliciesUrban AmenitiesMorality Politics: Battling over Community Values
Glossary
Index
Product details
| Published | 17 Feb 2020 |
|---|---|
| Format | Ebook (Epub & Mobi) |
| Edition | 1st |
| Extent | 368 |
| ISBN | 9781538105238 |
| Imprint | Rowman & Littlefield |
| Illustrations | 25 b/w photos; 3 maps; 27 tables; 23 charts; 27 textboxes |
| Publisher | Bloomsbury Publishing |
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