What is local politics?

1. What is local politics? • What is unique as a form of politics? • How is it different from national, international politics? • What do cities / counties do?

2. Local Politics • Themes (Judd & Swanstrom) • Politics of growth • Politics of governance • Politics of metropolitan fragmentation

3. Local politics • Politics of growth • From colonies until today • Jamestown, 1607 • Kelo v New London CT, 2005

4. Local Politics • Politics of governance • Managing things at the ground level • Immigration, housing, crime, roads • Managing group conflict • Ferguson, MO

5. Local Politics • Politics of metropolitan fragmentation • Cities compete against cities • ‘globalization before globalization’ • 89,000 local governments • Seattle Sonics, Wal-Mart, etc.

6. Two ‘theories’ of local politics • Political economy of place • Public choice logic

7. Theory of Local Politics I • Political Economy of Place • Exchange Value Coalition • increase value of land held for sale • actors who have incentives to be organized in local politics • booster-ism • In Judd: buy land, promote canals, attract railroads, etc.

8. Theory of Local Politics I • Political Economy of Place • Exchange Value Coalition • increase value of land held for sale • How can someone use public tools to increase value of land? • Incentives for these people to be well organized politically

9. Theory of Local Politics I • Political Economy of Place • Use Value Coalition • protect “lifestyle” values of land • neighborhood groups • NIMBY • respond to ‘threats’ • organize episodically

10. Theory of Local Politics I • Local politics = conflict over rival visions of land use • Conflict of values • exchange value coalition vs. use value coalition • Dominant Group is pro-development • most places, most of the time

11. Theory of Local Politics I • Result: City as a ‘growth machine’ • pro growth ‘ideology’ • privilege position of business • structural political power • collective action problem • challenges are rare • successful challenged even more rare

12. Theory of Local Politics II • Public Choice Logic • City as a business firm • supplies services, sets price, offers unique bundle of goods • Residents as consumer of services • unique preferences and willingness to pay

13. Theory of Local Politics II • Public Choice Logic • A market model • citizens (or businesses) ‘vote with their feet’ • shop around for best mix of public services • schools, fire, libraries, parks

14. Theory of Local Politics II • Assumptions of market model • people have information • people are mobile • have lots of choices (36,000 cities & towns) • more choices = more efficency • cities respond to threat of mobility • competition = efficiency gains

15. Theory of Local Politics II • Cities in competition with each other: • to provide services • to retain businesses and residents • Examples: • Stadium politics • Manufacturing plants • Big retail • Universities

16. Theory of Local Politics II • Evidence • information about tax levels? • homeowners mention taxes • Firms cite taxes as location criteria • Metro areas with more places have lower service / tax levels • if public officials think that taxing/spending will cause flight...

17. Theory of Local Politics II • Implications • more places is better • get rid of school districts, metro governments • Efficiency vs. equity • Example: • School voucher debate

18. What does this say about cities? • City Limits • Political Economy of Place • growth machine usually wins, cities pursue pro-development policies • Public Choice • competition constrains what cities can spend money on • only spend on development, on infrastructure, on public safety.... • What cities do not do: • unemployment comp., welfare, social services...

19. Political Development of US Cities • Theme - commercial enterprises • Colonial Town (1610 - 1770s) • 1700 250,000 Europeans • 1775 2.5 million • a nation of towns • towns (forts) used to settle ‘west’

20. Political Development • Colonial towns • Charters granted by Crown to est. business enterprises • leadership in hands of those who chartered • corporate, self-rule • these are the roots of our towns/cities • still, largely agrarian society

21. Political Development • The Early Republic (1790 - 1860) • Age of Jefferson • Jeffersonian critique of city • “mobs of cities are to pure democracy what sores are to the strength of the human body” • crowds, pursuit of commerce, recipe for corruption of public virtue • virtue in agriculture • Louisiana Purchase, 1803

22. Political Development • The Early Republic (1790 - 1860) • Age of Jackson • by 1820, 20% of population in cities • expansion of franchise (2x) • new organizations evolving to structure politics of cities.... • Volunteer Fire Departments • Mass based political parties

23. Political Development of US Cities • Age of Jackson • Volunteer Fire Departments • mass based • egalitarian • offered fellowship, social recognition • built by efforts of working class • hierarchical leadership

24. Political Development • Early Republic (1790 - 1860) • Jacksonian Democracy + urbanization = • frequent elections • more local offices elected • universal (white male) suffrage • to the victor go the spoils • political parties as machines