Majoritarian cities : policy making and inequality in urban politics / Neil Kraus.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Kraus, Neil, 1968-

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Local government--United States--Public opinion.

Local government.

Metropolitan government--United States--Public opinion.

Metropolitan government.

Municipal services--United States--Public opinion.

Municipal services.

Metropolitan government--United States.

Public opinion.

United States.

Public opinion--United States.

Urban policy--United States.

Urban policy.

Metropolitan government--Indiana--Gary--Case studies.

Metropolitan government--Minnesota--Minneapolis--Case studies.

Minnesota--Minneapolis.

Indiana--Gary.

Local government--Public opinion.

Metropolitan government--Public opinion.

Municipal services--Public opinion.

Genre:

Case studies.

Physical Description:

x, 274 pages : illustrations ; 24 cm

Place of Publication:

Ann Arbor : University of Michigan Press, [2013]

Summary:

"Neil Kraus evaluates both the influence of public opinion on local policy-making and the extent to which public policy addresses economic and social inequalities. Drawing on several years of fieldwork and multiple sources of data, including surveys and polls; initiatives, referenda, and election results; government documents; focus groups; interviews; and a wide assortment of secondary sources, Kraus presents case studies of two Midwestern cities, Minneapolis, Minnesota, and Gary, Indiana. Specifically, he focuses on several major policy decisions in recent decades concerning education, law enforcement, and affordable housing in Minneapolis; and education and riverboat casino development in Gary. Kraus finds that, on these issues, local officials frequently take action that reflects public opinion, yet the resulting policies often fail to meet the needs of the disadvantaged or ameliorate the effects of concentrated poverty. In light of citizens' current attitudes, he concludes that if patterns of inequality are to be more effectively addressed, scholars and policymakers must transform the debate about the causes and effects of inequality in urban and metropolitan settings"-- Provided by publisher.

Contents:

Chapter 1 Majoritarian Cities 1

Chapter 2 Patterns of Inequality, Public Attitudes, and the Cases 40

Chapter 3 When Political Support Is Not Enough to Reform Urban Schools 69

Chapter 4 Focusing Events and the Limits of Law Enforcement Reform 101

Chapter 5 "The Number One Issue"? The Struggle for Affordable Housing 131

Chapter 6 The Popularity of Gambling Meets the Need for Economic Development 162

Chapter 7 Democratic Control in an Impoverished, Segregated Urban School District 188

Chapter 8 Politics, Policy, and Inequality in Urban and Metropolitan America 212.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN:

9780472119028

0472119028

OCLC:

844308431