Contest for Dominance in the

Central City

New Haven Atlanta

Who Governs In The Age Of Urban Restructuring?

Elite ModelHunter – Atlanta

Pluralist ModelDahl – New Haven

Conflict between the two models led to disaray in urban political theory

Regime Theory Brings Order

Clarence Stone: again AtlantaAddresses considerations that led to

disarrayRole of business and entrepreneurs Importance of non-decisions Variety of influence relationships exist

and structure power in the city

Different Regimes for Different Cities

Entrepreneurial or corporate regimeGrowthIndustrialization Attract those

with money to spend

Different Regimes for Different Cities

Progressive regime Participation emphasizedSafety net issues at forefront

Global Capital submerges local interests

Growth Machine Theory empowers technocrats

Metropolitan area viewed as having a unitary interestProtect regional exportsAttract new investment capital

New York City Port Authority – best known and most powerful

The Emergence of Functional Fiefdoms in

Metropolitan Areas

Commissioners of the New York Port Authority

- Demographs that fall under the port authority’s control have no direct influence on the power and policies implemented by the Port Authority, but they do have a indirect voice thorough their respective Governors.

Kenneth J. Ringler Jr.Executive Director

Anthony R. CosciaChairman

Charles A. GarganoVice Chairman

Bruce A. BlakemanCommissioner, New York

Michael J. ChasanoffCommissioner, New York

Christine A. FererCommissioner, New York

More Commissioners of the New York Port Authority

Angelo J. Genova, Esq.Commissioner, New Jersey

David S. MackCommissioner, New York

Raymond M. PocinoCommissioner, New Jersey

Anthony J. SartorCommissioner, New Jersey

Henry R. SilvermanCommissioner, New York

Jack G. SinagraCommissioner, New Jersey

David S. SteinerCommissioner, New Jersey

List of Facilities Managed by the Port Authority Bridges and Tunnels- Every river crossing between the city

of New York and the state of New Jersey is operated by the PANYNJ. Together they carry more than 250 million vehicular crossings each year.

Airports-The three major airports – Newark, John F Kennedy and La Guardia – handled 34.2, 32.8 and 25.5 million passengers respectively in 2000, making New York a global air transport hub ranking alongside London and Tokyo

Maritime terminals-Seven public terminals, most of them located along the New York Harbor and Newark Bay, are managed by the PANYNJ, including Port Elizabeth, Port Newark, Howland Hook, Red Hook and others

                       

The Strong Mayor As An Antidote for Functional

Fiefdoms IPreconditions for strong mayoral

leadershipResources to launch social programCity jurisdiction in vital programs (housing,

education, redevelopment, job training)Mayoral jurisdiction, within city, over above Salary that allows for full time mayor

The Strong Mayor As An Antidote for Functional Fiefdoms

II Strong staff support

for the mayor for tasks such as policy planning, speech writing, inter-governmental relations

Ready vehicles of publicity

Politically oriented groups that mayor can organize

Styles of Mayoral LeadershipCeremonial MayorCaretaker MayorProgram EntrepreneurCrusader MayorMinority Mayor

Responsiveness and Local Executive Leadership

Critical Question : To whom is the mayor responsive? Or not responsive

Non Responsiveness: to whom? - Minorities??

African-American middle class - by engaging in community organization, direct political action and electoral have been able to get into the governing coalitions

Similar pattern with Hispanics

Non Responsiveness: to whom? - Underclass

African-American mayors, despite increasing public sector employment, have yet to make substantial improvements in living conditions of underclass

Underclass of Hispanics and Asian Americans remain part of the underpriviledged strata

Non Responsiveness: Overriding Cause

Unorganized individuals Regardless of race or ethnicitySeldom have their demands attended to

by city governments.

Decentralization: An Antidote For Non Responsiveness?

Community Action and Model Cities Program (co-opted by city hall)

Community Control Decentralization of educationLittle city hallsNeighborhood Advisory councils

Despite disappointments decentralization has made it

easierfor citizen groups to demand new meaningful inputs into

government decisions.

Bias In Contemporary Urban U.S. Political Structures: Summary

Individual citizens much less influential than institutions

Individual institutions often appear as functional fiefdoms

Emergence of functional fiefdoms tends to inhibit political leadership

Bias against unorganized felt most heavily by poor and racial minorities