What is local politics? What is unique as a form of politics? How is it different from national,...
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Transcript of What is local politics? What is unique as a form of politics? How is it different from national,...
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?
Local Politics
• Themes (Judd & Swanstrom)
– Politics of growth– Politics of governance– Politics of metropolitan fragmentation
Local politics
• Politics of growth– From colonies until today
• Jamestown, 1607
• Kelo v New London CT, 2005
Local Politics
• Politics of governance
– Managing things at the ground level• Immigration, housing, crime, roads
– Managing group conflict • Ferguson, MO
Local Politics
• Politics of metropolitan fragmentation– Cities compete against cities
• ‘globalization before globalization’
– 89,000 local governments
– Seattle Sonics, Wal-Mart, etc.
Two ‘theories’ of local politics
• Political economy of place
• Public choice logic
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.
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
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
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
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
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
Theory of Local Politics II
• Public Choice Logic
• A market model– citizens (or businesses) ‘vote with their fee
t’– shop around for best mix of public services
• schools, fire, libraries, parks
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
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
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...
Theory of Local Politics II
• Implications– more places is better– get rid of school districts, metro
governments– Efficiency vs. equity
• Example:– School voucher debate
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...
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’
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
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
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
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
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