Bias & Change in Urban & Metropolitan Politics: USA

1. Bias & Change in Urban & Metropolitan Politics: USA

3. The Bias of Political Organization • Urban political structures not neutral • Examples: • Ethnic leaders viewed civil service reforms as “the curse of the nation” • Metropolitan governments opposed by African-American leaders • Bussing in school districts opposed by ethnics and suburban whites

4. The Bias of Political Organization • Zoning regulations often used to exclude poor

5. Common Themes of Urban Politics in the United States • First Theme • Participants in the political process anticipate that major changes in: • governmental structures, • boundaries, • decision making processes • Produce policy changes that would be for or against their interests

6. Common Themes of Urban Politics in the United States • Second Theme • Most important urban political issues now involve more than the central cities • suburbs & the exurbs • metropolitan-level structures of government • federal government • Contemporary politics of the central city and the entire metropolitan region are intertwined, not separate

7. Common Themes of Urban Politics in the United States • Third Theme • Key issues at stake involved changes in either • channels through which citizens would have political access to key decision matters • Or direct social access to important amenities of urban life • Examples: • quality education • housing • transportation

8. Common Themes of Urban Politics in the United States • Fourth Theme • Federal government has become a key participant in urban and metropolitan politics • Washington influences decisions on housing, education and intra-urban transportation • Above issues previously were viewed as exclusively local prerogatives

9. The Nature of Change in Metropolitan Politics: Latin America • Abrupt change imposed from above (the national level) • Change in rules of the game – as opposed to change in government • Fidel Castro’s abolition of the mayor-council system (modeled on the US.) of government for Havana • Reorganization in Buenos Aires following the constitutional reform of 1994 • Creation of the Metropolitan District in Caracas upon adoption of a new constitution (1999)

10. The Nature of Change in Metropolitan Politics of the United States • Incrementalism has predominated • Three historical periods of urban/metropolitan politics • Age of political machines • Progressive movement • Period of the dependent city

11. Two Watershed Presidencies(post World War II) • Lyndon B. Johnson (1963-69): bringing the federal government in (Great Society) • Ronald W. Reagan (1981-89) distancing the federal government from the cities

12. Contemporary Local Government Fragmentation (Counties)

13. Contemporary Local Government Fragmentation (Municipalities of Allegheny County – PA.

14. Contemporary Local Government Fragmentation (U.S. Total 87,453) • Other Regular Subdivisions • Town/Township • School District

15. Contemporary Local Government Fragmentation (U.S. Total 87,453) • Special District • Tri-State Port Authority • Services Metropolitan New York (N.Y.; N. New Jersey; W. Connecticut)

16. Bias, Change, and Political Power: Critical Conceptual Clarifications • Political Power: the ability to influence public decisions • Critical Dimensions of political power • Context of Power • Structure of Power • Public Power and Private power

17. Tradition of Privatism in Urban United States • Quaker Philadelphia & Puritan Boston • Priority on individual and private sector • Priority to the leadership in the public sector • Sam Warner: The Private City (Philadelphia

18. Changing Emphasis:Private vs Public Sectors • Priority to private sector following the Civil War • Wealth increasingly concentrated in 1890’s • Wilson administration (1913 – 1920) • Role of government increased • Heavy handed national security policies leads to election of conservative Republican Warren G. Harding • Social and economic Darwinism Ascendant in 1920’s

19. Punctuated Expansion of Role of Federal Government • New Deal of Franklin D. Roosevelt • Great Society of Lyndon Johnson • Reagan Revolution resurrects support for smaller government • Government problem – not solution • Bush I and Clinton continue the policies • More leeway to capitalist institutions under George W. Bush • Differential Impacts of Privatization • Affluent • Less fortunate

20. Barak Obama • Concern with the negative consequences of Bush administration’s reliance on private sector • Affinity for plight of underclass in the cities • Greater confidence in the capabilities of government