Reconstructing City Politics Alternative Economic Development and Urban Regimes

by David L. Imbroscio

• ISBN13: 9780761906124
• ISBN10: 0761906126
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 1997-02-03
• Publisher: Sage Publications

Summary

In this book, David L Imbroscio urges that urban political economy must move forward beyond the question of 'what is?' to a consideration of 'what might be'. He systematically poses the possibilities for reconstructing the nature of contemporary city politics, while integrating a wealth of innovative urban analysis. The author explores three alternative urban economic development strategies: entrepreneurial mercantilism, community-based economic development and municipal enterprise. He considers whether these strategies are likely to be effective for bringing about urban economic vitality and whether it is feasible for cities to pursue these efforts in the current political economic context. By addressing these questions, Imbroscio reaches conclusions about the possibilities for a successful and sustainable reconstruction of US city politics.

Table of Contents

Foreword	xi	(2)
Preface	xiii	(6)
Acknowledgments	xix
PART I: BACKGROUND	3	(46)
1. Empirical and Normative Foundations	3	(20)
Urban Political Economy and the Empirical Consensus	4	(2)
The Urban Regime Concept	6	(1)
The Normative Implications of the Empirical Consensus: Political Inequality in Central Cities	7	(9)
The Idea of Political Equality	8	(2)
The Empirical Consensus and Political Inequality in Cities	10	(6)
The Problem of Privileged Voices	10	(2)
The Problem of Economic Inequality	12	(4)
Local Political Inequality and the Larger Liberal-Democratic Order	16	(2)
The Central Constructive Task	18	(3)
Looking Ahead	21	(2)
2. Reconstituting Urban Regimes	23	(27)
Explaining Urban Regime Formation	23	(1)
The External Economic Explanation	24	(2)
The Internal Political Explanation	26	(2)
Beyond the "City Limits" Debate: Rethinking Regime Formation	28	(7)
External Economic Dependency	30	(2)
Internal Resource Dependency	32	(3)
"The Point Is to Change It": Lessening the Dependencies	35	(7)
Alternative Urban Economic Development Strategies	36	(2)
Potential Structural Impacts	38	(4)
Evaluating the Strategies	42	(7)
PART II: ANALYSIS	49	(112)
3. The Entrepreneurial-Mercantilist Strategy	49	(48)
Exploring Vision and Substance	49	(10)
Vision	49	(2)
Substance	51	(8)
Assessing Prospects for Effectiveness	59	(15)
Overarching Issues	59	(5)
Economic Theory	60	(2)
Legal Context	62	(2)
Specific Issues	64	(10)
Small-Business Development	64	(4)
Other Objectives	68	(4)
Finance	72	(2)
Understanding Constraints on Feasibility	74	(14)
The Context: The St. Paul Regime (the Latimer Years)	75	(1)
The St. Paul Homegrown Economy Project	76	(5)
Analysis of Impact	81	(7)
Political Factors	83	(2)
Institutional Factors	85	(1)
Economic Factors	86	(2)
Summary	88	(9)
4. The Community-Based Strategy	97	(42)
Exploring Vision and Substance	98	(8)
Vision	98	(2)
Substance	100	(6)
Assessing Prospects for Effectiveness	106	(13)
Overarching Issues	106	(3)
Economic Theory	106	(3)
Legal Context	109	(1)
Specific Issues	109	(10)
The Development Potential in Poor Urban Communities	109	(2)
Individual Institutions	111	(8)
Understanding Constraints on Feasibility	119	(13)
The Context: The Pittsburgh Post-War Regime	120	(1)
Community-Based Development in Pittsburgh	121	(5)
Analysis of Impact	126	(6)
Political Factors	127	(3)
Institutional Factors	130	(1)
Economic Factors	130	(2)
Summary	132	(7)
5. The Municipal-Enterprise Strategy	139	(22)
Exploring Vision and Substance	140	(5)
Vision	140	(1)
Substance	141	(4)
Direct Public Ownership (of economic enterprises)	142	(1)
Retained Public Ownership (of productive assets)	143	(1)
Public Equity Holdings (in private enterprises)	144	(1)
Other Nontraditional Public Enterprise Activities	144	(1)
Assessing Prospects for Effectiveness	145	(8)
Overarching Issues	145	(6)
Economic Theory	145	(3)
Legal Context	148	(3)
Specific Issues	151	(2)
Understanding Constraints on Feasibility	153	(2)
Political Factors	154	(1)
Institutional Factors	154	(1)
Economic Factors	155	(1)
Summary and Conclusions	155	(6)
PART III: CONCLUSIONS	161	(19)
6. Toward a Reconstructed City Politics?	161	(19)
A Recapitulation	162	(1)
Overcoming Constraints on Feasibility	163	(8)
Political Factors	163	(6)
Institutional and Economic Factors	169	(2)
Lessening the Dual Dependencies: Notes on the Prospects	171	(3)
The External Economic Dependency	171	(1)
The Internal Resource Dependency	172	(2)
Combining Strategies in Practice	174	(1)
Conclusion: Normative Matters, Again	175	(5)
References	180	(19)
Author Index	199	(3)
Subject Index	202	(8)
About the Author	210