Paul Kantor - American Urban Politics in a Global Age

American
Urban Politics
in a Global Age

The Reader

SEVENTH EDITION

Edited by

Paul Kantor

Fordham University

Dennis R. Judd

University of Illinois at Chicago

First published 2013, 2010, 2008, 2006 by Pearson Education, Inc.

Published 2016 by Routledge
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Copyright 2013, 2010, 2008, 2006 Taylor & Francis. All rights reserved.

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ISBN: 9780205251759 (pbk)
Cover Photo: Stock photo franckreporter

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

American urban politics in a global age / [edited by] Paul P. Kantor,
Dennis R. Judd.7th ed.
p. cm.
ISBN-13: 978-0-205-25175-9
ISBN-10: 0-205-25175-7
1. Urban policyUnited States. 2. Municipal governmentUnited States.
3. Metropolitan governmentUnited States. I. Kantor, Paul, 1942
II. Judd, Dennis R.
HT123.A6664 2013
320.850973dc23

2012000857

In the three years since the 6th edition of this book was published an astonishing social and political transformation has begun to fundamentally reshape the politics of Americas cities and urban regions. The changes have unfolded so rapidly that it we have been forced to thoroughly rethink American Urban Politics in the Global Age. The readers of our previous editions will notice that this is becoming a habit, but it is one we can correct only if the changes originally prompted by globalization begin to slow down. Instead, the opposite seems to be happening. The most immediately pressing issues arise from the Great Recession of 20082010 and its continuing effects, the increasingly bitter battles over immigration and the ethnic tensions these provoke, and the growing awareness of the extremes of inequality that characterize American society. These issues play out against a background that is itself constantly changing: the economic restructuring associated with the international economy continues to evolve, the political competition prompted by racial and ethnic differences take new forms; and the politics of the fragmented metropolis has, if anything, intensified. And, finally, natural disasters seem to have joined terrorism has a major challenge to the resilience of cities and urban regions. This 7th edition represents an attempt to treat all these topics in one volume.

Despite our desire to account for dramatic new developments we wish to emphasize that they are best understood when placed into historical context. The political and social structures undergirding American urban politics have endured over time remarkably unchanged, and they continue to powerfully shape todays politics and policy choices. For example, from the nations founding to the present Americas cities have engaged in a vigorous economic competition; this was true for cities on the frontier, and it is just as true today. All of the selections are placed in thematic context by means of editors essays that provide a thematic context for understanding how the selections fit together. This book is a suitable companion for any good urban politics text, but its organization and themes fit particularly well with Dennis R. Judd and Todd Swanstroms City Politics, a textbook also published by Pearson Longman Publishers.

We wish to thank Mr. Reid Hester, our Longman political science editor, for championing this book. His interest, ideas and encouragement were essential to this enterprise. Dennis Judd wishes to thank Anahit Gomptian for her assistance in copying materials and other tasks. Ms. Emily Saurhoff at Pearson Longman also provided invaluable help in preparation of the manuscript.

PAUL KANTOR
DENNIS R. JUDD

U rban governance in the global era is in some ways entirely different from any previous period. At the same time, the past continues to shape contemporary urban politics. Although apparently in contradiction, each of these statements is true. This is why it is important to explain the contours of American urban politics by taking both into account. For this reason, the selections selected for this book acknowledge and often make explicit reference to historical precedents as a way of bringing into focus todays political processes and policy problems.

American Urban Politics in a Global Era is organized into three parts. Part One contains selections examining the thesis that the economic imperative powerfully shapes contemporary urban politics. As these selections attest, urban governments place economic growth and prosperity high on the local political agenda; this priority powerfully shapes urban politics. Part Two is composed of selections dealing with a second imperative, governance: In the global era, and, for that matter, throughout American history, the representation of group and citizen interests have decisively shaped what local governments do. In particular, racial and ethnic diversity and the conflicts occasioned by successive waves of immigration have obliged American urban governments to pay close attention to the task of negotiating conflicting claims among the many contending interests that make up the urban polity. The selections in Part Three address the political factors that determine the competence and resilience of the American system of urban governance in the face of new social challenges. A fundamental feature of the nations governance system is its extreme fragmentation. Power and authority are decentralized and dispersed in the American intergovernmental system. Further, within metropolitan areas, a multitude of highly autonomous governments operate with little or sometimes no coordination by higher governmental authorities. These realities have tremendous implications for the ability of local governments to cope with many of the challenges of our time. These come in various forms. The most vivid recent examples include the terrorist attacks of 9/11, the stresses of the lingering economic crisis, and a series of recent natural disasters. The responses to these challenges suggest that the ability of cities and urban regions to manage sudden or long term stresses is determined in considerable measure by Americas political arrangements and governmental systems.