ust200
boodkvokhari
ch_7_the_city_governs.pptxThe City Governs
Political Science
The study of the different structural arrangements that provide government in cities and how they affect residents of urban areas.
Governance is the establishment of policies, and continuous monitoring of their proper implementation, by the members of the governing body of an organization.
It includes the mechanisms required to balance the powers of the members (with the associated accountability), and their primary duty of enhancing the prosperity and viability of the geographic area.
A Brief History of American Politics
Government could not provide what its citizenry needed. This resulted in private interests providing social services to its workers. Thus, private interests grew strong and guided policy development.
Machine politics is the process of exchanging favors and inducements for votes. The brokerage system is the vehicle for this exchange.
Groups or individuals “brokered” requests for favors and expected a benefit for their assistance.
The Organization of the Political Machine
Political Reform
The demise of political machines occurred because of:
Actions of reformers seeking good government practices.
Competing demands of other groups that challenged the machine’s dominance.
Progressivism, an urban, middle‐class reform movement, supported the government taking a greater role in addressing such issues as the control of big business and the welfare of the public.
Local Governance
Urban political structure developed as a response to aspects of machine operations that citizens found undesirable.
Reform efforts led to:
The form of (local) government.
The means of electing city council members.
Jurisdictional charter dictates the local governance structure.
Implementation of Reform
Strong mayor systems have wide-ranging political independence as well as the power to appoint department heads and to prepare the city budget
Weak mayor systems have a council, elected at-large by the public. Council (ward) represent the interests of their specific geographic area (political boundary).
Gerrymandering is drawing political boundaries to give your party a numeric advantage over an opposing party.
Mayor-Council and Council-Manager
African-American Leadership
The civil rights era paved the way for African-American (and other non-White) leadership in governance.
The Voting Rights Act of 1965.
1967. Cleveland elected the first African-American mayor of a major, industrial center city (Gary, IN was the other).
Gerrymandering Visualized
Government Finance
Intergovernmental revenues from states and the federal government comprise a significant amount of the money that cities use to operate and to perform functions expected by citizens.
Federal governmental revenues to state and local government fund public welfare programs: Health, education. housing, transportation, and “Other” (local public works projects, anti-recessionary fiscal assistance, and temporary employment assistance)
Typically, the pattern of disbursement is Federal to State, State to County, County to Local.
Local Government Finance
Local governments generate revenue from taxes, fees, and loans.
Taxes include property taxes, income taxes, and sales tax.
A regressive tax takes a larger percentage of income from low-income earners than from high-income earners (sales tax).
A progressive tax, which takes a larger percentage from high-income earners (income tax).
Fees include user fees (permit-based) and license fees.
User fees are the largest growing revenue source for cities.
Intergovernmental Issues
"Federalism" is the process by which two or more governments share powers over the same geographic area.
In the United States, the Constitution grants certain powers to both the U.S. government and the state governments.
Cities receive legal powers from states in two ways:
General law cities are those that have their powers dictated in State law.
Charter cities are those that derive their power from a charter which describes what the local government can have authority over (form, composition, powers and limitations of city officials).
The Home Rule (type of) charter allows voters to change from one form of government to another without seeking state approval.
Patterns of Local Public Service Provisions
Public education is normally provided by independent school districts. Boundaries are usually follow the central city boundary.
Human and social services are normally provided by county government.
Infrastructure and capital facilities improvements are provided by the central city government, but special districts (cross-jurisdictional) have been implemented for water & sewer.
Emergency services, street maintenance, and recreation are provided by central city
Redevelopment activities are divided between central city and special districts.
What’s Next?
There continues to be a greater divide between central cities and their suburbs.
Income
Housing
Education
Safety
Allocation of resources
Electing leaders that can bridge the divide, not cause further divide.
Assignments for Friday, February 3
Chapter Summary Question 7-1. Choose one issue that concerns you (local, regional, State or Federal) and write a letter expressing that concern to a public official. Your letter should include the following:
Date, To, From, Subject (concern)
Dear XXX…Sincerely, XXX
Body of letter should describe the issue of concern, why it concerns you, specific examples of the issue, what you would like to see change to address the issue (possible alternatives), thank the official for reading, and how to contact you for follow-up. (You may find the Community Toolbox’s Writing Letters to Elected Officials webpage to be a helpful resource).
250-500 words (should be about 1 page)
Read Chapter 8: The City Manages.
Chapter Summary Questions 8-1 AND 8-2 (as one .doc or .pdf submission).
Submit both assignments to the appropriate BlackBoard links
Office of Civic Engagement at CSU
Legacy of the Stokes Brothers (Cleveland)
Liaison for UST200: Ms. Amelia Caldwell
