The Politics of the American City

This course will focus on American urban politics ¿- the distinctive nature of local government, its relationship to state government and the separation of powers between states and the federal government. Certain theories about political decision-making and power sharing will be explored. We will try to develop a national perspective on the political dynamics of urban governments and we will probe certain policy areas such as economic development to understand how political choice is embedded within the allocation of resources to meet human needs. The growing transformation among American urban areas due to the rise of the global economy will also be examined. The course will be composed of lectures, class discussions and graded exercises.