URBAN POLITICS
POLITICAL SCIENCE 372.001
Spring 2013
Tuesday and Thursday, 11:00-12:15
Mitchell Hall 220
Dr. Timothy B. Krebs
Office: 2070 Social Sciences
Office Hours: Monday and Wednesday, 9:30-11:00
505/277-2017
email: [email protected]
Course Description: This course is about urban politics in America. We begin by discussing the
evolution of cities and suburbs in the U.S., before describing and explaining the debate over
community power. We then examine institutional arrangements, machine politics, the reform
movement, political behavior and racial/ethnic politics in cities. We conclude the semester with
by studying the politics of suburbia. Our primary goal is to understand how and why the
environment, institutions, political figures, and citizens influence city government and to what
ends.
At the conclusion of the semester, students should:
1) be able to describe and explain the evolution of cities and suburbs in the U.S.;
2) understand both classic and contemporary theories of community power;
3) be able to discuss the pros and cons of political machines, and the major tenets of the
political reform movement;
4) be able to describe and explain the differences among municipal governments, and
to understand the role of mayors, city councils, and managers in governing cities.
5) understand the main forms and dynamics of political participation in urban politics,
6) be able to explain the dimensions of racial and ethnic politics in cities;
7) understand the essential character of suburban and metro politics.
Required Texts (both are available in the UNM bookstore):
Ross, Bernard H., and Myron A. Levine. 2011. Urban Politics: Cities and Suburbs in a Global Age.
Eighth Edition. Armonk, NY: M.E. Sharpe
Paul Kantor and Dennis R. Judd. 2010. American Urban Politics in a Global Age. Seventh Edition.
New York: Pearson Longman.
Grade Components:
Midterm
Final
Response Papers
Albuquerque Government Paper
Class Participation
25%
25%
20%
20%
10%
Failure to complete an assignment will result in a failing grade.
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Grading Scale:
I will use the following scale for the assignment of grades: 98-100 = A+, 93-97 = A, 90-92 = A-,
87-89 = B+, 83-86 = B, 80-82 = B-, 77-79 = C+, 73-76 = C, 70-72 = C-, 67-69 = D+, 63-66 = D, 60-62
= D-, 0-59 = F. If you have any questions about the grading scale, please contact me.
Course Requirements:
Exams. We will complete two exams, a midterm and a final, both of which will consist of short
answer and essay questions. Make-up exams will be given only in the event of a documented
absence. This provision will be strictly enforced. Please note that the date of the midterm exam
is subject to change, depending on how the course progresses. You will be notified in advance
if such a change is necessary. The final exam is not cumulative.
Response Papers. The goal of this assignment is to practice incorporating information from
scholarly sources into brief essays. I will ask you to respond to a question, or set of questions,
about the readings in Kantor and Judd, or those on our course page at UNM Learn. Your task is
to respond to the question(s) in light of what you have learned in the assigned readings.
The responses should be short: two (2) typed and double-spaced pages max. Due dates will
vary, and will be announced in class. There are no responses due for assigned readings from
the main text.
Albuquerque Government Paper. For this assignment, you are asked to identify an issue or
concern facing the city of Albuquerque that is also of interest to you. Next you are required to
attend one meeting of the Albuquerque city council, an Albuquerque city council committee, or
an Albuquerque city board or commission meeting to learn more about the issue you have
chosen to study. Your visit to a committee/commission meeting will be a part of a broader
paper that is supported by other data like newspaper articles, letters to the editor, mayoral
speeches, public testimony, statistical information, etc. Your paper should identify the topic or
issue; explain why it is important (if it’s not important, don’t study it); and shed light on its
resolution or place in the city’s policy agenda. Your paper should focus more on the politics of
the policy—key players, interests, and political implications—than on policy pros and cons. A
word of caution: endeavor to find something controversial as this will provide for a much more
interesting paper and experience.
Because the kinds of things that are of interest to you might not necessarily be discussed at a
public meeting in Albuquerque this spring, you will have to be flexible with regard to your
topic. You can simply attend meetings and write on something that is discussed or plan ahead
by examining meeting agendas to fit your specific interests to a particular meeting. You are
restricted to studying Albuquerque city government because Albuquerque is the most highly
urbanized place in New Mexico and because city government is our main focus this semester.
The rationale behind the project is to get you into the community for your research as learning
about our local community is one of the great opportunities a course in urban politics provides.
The paper should be 8-10 pages in the length, typed and double-spaced. It is due April 2, thus
after we discuss urban institutions—mayors, city council and city managers.
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Class Participation and Attendance. I expect students to be prepared to participate in class and
to have read the assigned materials prior to each session. Class participation is 10% of the final
grade. To ensure that you are keeping up with the readings, we will also take quizzes at
random times during the semester. Your score on quizzes will be factored into your overall
participation grade. You cannot participate if you are not in class. This component of your final
grade is worth a maximum of 100 points.
I do not take attendance, but attendance is essential. And although I don’t take attendance I
generally know who is coming and who is not. This class is at capacity, so if you don’t plan to
attend regularly please drop the course so that someone else can have your slot.
Reading a daily newspaper: If you are not doing so already, I encourage you to read a daily
newspaper and/or blog. The Albuquerque Journal, Weekly Alibi, and Santa Fe New Mexican are
available on-line, as are all major newspapers, e.g., New York Times, Washington Post, Chicago
Tribune, Los Angeles Times, etc. You should actively seek out stories on city government and
politics issues. Papers from bigger metro areas will have more urban politics/government
content.
Classroom Rules: 1) Please do not be late for class. 2) Do not come to class for purposes of
doing work for another course. 3) If you need to leave class during a session, please let me
know ahead of time. 4) You may not leave class during an exam (except in the case of a dire
emergency). 5) Please silence all cell phones, Blackberries, pagers, iPods, etc. prior to the start of
class. There is to be no texting in class (or while driving!).
Accommodations: Qualified students with disabilities needing appropriate academic
adjustments should contact me as soon as possible to ensure your needs are met in a timely
manner. Handouts are available in alternative accessible formats upon request.
Teaching Strategy: I will lecture, but in order for this course to be successful, all of us need to
come to class prepared to discuss the readings. I will call on you, and I expect you to be
prepared with answers to my questions.
Statement of Teaching Philosophy: Education is an interactive process. The most effective
learning occurs when we actively engage the subject matter. It does very little good for me to
lecture to you and for you to passively consume the information I present. You will remember
information better, and be more effective test takers, by actively engaging the assigned
readings, coming to class prepared to discuss them, and by being active listeners. We also learn
a great deal from each other. Thus, only one person should speak at a time, and we should be
respectful of each other’s opinions and views.
Dishonesty in Academic Matters: “Each student is expected to maintain the highest standards
of integrity in academic and professional matters. The University reserves the right to take
disciplinary action, including dismissal, against any student who is found responsible for
academic dishonesty. Any student who has been judged to have engaged in academic
dishonesty in course work may receive a reduced or failing grade for the work in question
and/or for the course.
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Academic dishonesty includes, but is not limited to, dishonesty in quizzes, tests, or
assignments; claiming credit for work not done or done by others; hindering the academic work
of other students; misrepresenting academic or professional qualifications within or outside the
university” (UNM Catalog, 2010-2011, p.46).
Instructor’s note: Academic dishonesty (cheating on a test, plagiarizing a paper, etc.) may result
in an F on an assignment, an F in the class, or expulsion from the university. These are not good
options. Regardless of my decision in a case of academic dishonesty, I will report the matter to
university authorities. In all work, we will abide by the highest standards of academic integrity.
This is particularly important with regard to citation of material.
Course Outline and Readings
I. The Evolution of American Cities and Suburbs
We begin by discussing urbanization in the United States. Specifically, we examine the
economic, demographic, and social forces that shape and have shaped America’s cities and
suburbs.
Week 1 (1/14)
The Urban Environment, Part I
Topics: urbanization; demographic character of cities; urban condition
Ross and Levine, Chapter 1, The Urban Situation and Chapter 2, The Evolution of Cities and
Suburbs
Kantor and Judd, Chapter 5, The Suburbs: Politics in a Changing Political Landscape, Readings
15-18.
Week 2 (1/21)
The Urban Environment, Part I
Topics: urbanization; demographic character of cities; urban condition
Ross and Levine, Chapter 1, The Urban Situation and Chapter 2, The Evolution of Cities and
Suburbs
Kantor and Judd, Chapter 5, The Suburbs: Politics in a Changing Political Landscape, Readings
15-18.
Week 3 (1/28)
The Urban Environment, Part II
Topics: gentrification, globalization, and impact on urban life
Ross and Levine, Chapter 3, Recent Trends: Gentrification and Globalization
Kantor and Judd, Chapter 8, The Politics of Urban Resilience, Readings 25-27.
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II. Community Power and Governing Institutions
In this section we examine the debate over community power, which includes a discussion of
elitism, pluralism, city limits, and regime theory. We then examine the variety of governing
arrangements found in cities.
Week 4 (2/4)
Community Power
Topics: pluralism; elitism; limited cities model; regime theory
Ross and Levine, Chapter 4, Who Has the Power? Decision Making, Economic Development,
and Urban Regimes
Kantor and Judd, Chapter 1, Studying Urban Governance in a Global Age, Readings 1-3.
Week 5 (2/11)
View “Inventing LA: The Chandlers & Their Times” a documentary about the Chandler Family,
its control of the Los Angeles Times, and its influence over the economic, social, and cultural
development of the nation’s second largest city. 117 minutes.
Week 6 (2/18)
Governing Institutions and Leadership
Topics: Mayors, City Councils, and City Managers
Ross and Levine, Chapter 5, Formal Structure and Leadership Style
Week 7 (2/25)
Governing Institutions and Leadership
Topics: Mayors, City Councils, and City Managers
Ross and Levine, Chapter 5, Formal Structure and Leadership Style
Week 8 (3/4)
Governing Institutions and Leadership
Topics: Mayors, City Councils, and City Managers
Ross and Levine, Chapter 5, Formal Structure and Leadership Style
***Midterm Exam Thursday, March 7. Material Covered: Week 1 through 8***
Week 9 (3/11)
Spring Break
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III. Political Machines and Urban Reform
Party machines dominated city politics in the early part of the 20th century. In response, urban
reformers were intent on limiting machine power where it existed and stopping it in areas
where it had not taken hold. In this section we explore this era with an eye toward
understanding the machine-reform debate.
Week 10 (3/18)
Machine Politics
Topics: formation of machines; machine maintenance and decline; machines today
Ross and Levine, Chapter 6, The Machine, Reform and Post-Reform City
Week 11 (3/25)
The Nature and Consequences of Urban Reform
Topics: causes of reform; types of reform; reform consequences
Ross and Levine, Chapter 6, The Machine, Reform and Post-Reform City
IV. Political Behavior and Political Incorporation
In this section we examine political participation at the local level and factors that shape it. We
also study the meaning of political incorporation, how it comes about, and the consequences of
it for city governance.
Week 12 (4/1)
Political Behavior in Cities
Topics: forms of participation; explaining participation; vote choice
Ross and Levine, Chapter 7, Citizen Participation
Readings available via WebCT:
Caren, 2007, “Big City, Big Turnout? Electoral Participation in American Cities”
Hajnal and Lewis, 2003, “Municipal Institutions and Voter Turnout in Local
Elections”
Week 13 (4/8)
Political Behavior in Cities
Topics: forms of participation; explaining participation; vote choice
Ross and Levine, Chapter 8, Citizen Participation
Readings available via UNM Learn (learn.unm.edu):
Caren, 2007, “Big City, Big Turnout? Electoral Participation in American Cities”
Hajnal and Lewis, 2003, “Municipal Institutions and Voter Turnout in Local
Elections”
***Midwest Political Science Association meeting April 11-14. Class cancelled on Thursday***
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Week 14 (4/15)
Urban Political Incorporation
Topics: political incorporation of minority groups
Kantor and Judd, Chapter 4, The Cities: Governing Factional Polities, Readings 11-14
Week 15 (4/22)
View “Street Fight” a documentary film by Marshall Curry on the 2002 Newark mayoral
election. 81 minutes.
V. Suburban Politics and Metropolitan America
We conclude the semester with a discussion of suburban and metro politics. Our discussion of
metro politics will raise a number of issues that are important for understanding efforts to
consolidate cities and counties or otherwise impose regional government.
Week 16 (4/29)
Politics of Suburbia
Topics: myths about suburban America; issues in suburban politics; political behavior
Ross and Levine, Chapter 9, Suburban Politics and Metropolitan America
Kantor and Judd, Chapter 7, Sprawl and Regional Solutions, Readings 22-24
*** Final Exam on Tuesday May 7, 12:30. Material Covered: Week 10 through Week 16.***
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