Defining democracy : electoral reform and the struggle for power in New York City / Daniel O. Prosterman.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Prosterman, Daniel O., author.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

New York (N.Y.). City Council--History--20th century.

New York (N.Y.).

Elections--New York (State)--New York--History--20th century.

Elections.

Municipal government--New York (State)--New York--History--20th century.

Municipal government.

New York (N.Y.)--Politics and government--1898-1951.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (289 p.)

Place of Publication:

New York : Oxford University Press, [2013]

Language Note:

English

Summary:

Defining Democracy reveals the history of a little-known experiment in urban democracy begun in New York City during the Great Depression and abolished amid the early Cold War. For a decade, New Yorkers utilized a new voting system that produced the most diverse legislatures in the city's history and challenged the American two-party structure. Daniel O. Prosterman examines struggles over electoral reform in New York City to clarify our understanding of democracy's evolution in the United States and the world.

Contents:

Cover; Contents; Acknowledgments; Introduction: The Perils and Promise of Democratic Reform; 1. The Politics of Electoral Reform in New York City History; 2. Restructuring Urban Democracy Amid the Great Depression; 3. Proportional Representation and the Practice of Democracy in New York City; 4. Under the Cloak of Patriotism: Specters of Totalitarianism in City Politics; 5. A Red (in the) City Hall; 6. The Democratic-Republican Alliance and the Repeal of Proportional Representation; Epilogue: Repeal's Aftermath; Notes; Bibliography; Index; A; B; C; D; E; F; G; H; I; J; K; L; M; N; O; P; Q; R

ST; U; V; W; X; Y; Z

Notes:

Description based upon print version of record.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Description based on print version record.

ISBN:

0-19-970347-7

1-299-22388-5