New York City Politics: Governing Gotham

by Bruce F. Berg

Overview

Most experts consider economic development to be the dominant factor influencing urban politics. They point to the importance of the finance and real estate industries, the need to improve the tax base, and the push to create jobs. Bruce F. Berg maintains that there are three forces which are equally important in explaining New York City politics: economic development; the city’s relationships with the state and federal governments, which influence taxation, revenue and public policy responsibilities; and New York City’s racial and ethnic diversity, resulting in demands for more equitable representation and greater equity in the delivery of public goods and services.

New York City Politics focuses on the impact of these three forces on the governance of New York City’s political system including the need to promote democratic accountability, service delivery equity, as well as the maintenance of civil harmony. This second edition updates the discussion with examples from the Bloomberg and de Blasio administrations as well as current public policy issues including infrastructure, housing and homelessness, land use regulations, and education.  

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780813586663
Publisher:	Rutgers University Press
Publication date:	06/22/2018
Edition description:	Second Edition, Second Edition, Revised and Updated
Pages:	358
Product dimensions:	6.10(w) x 9.10(h) x 0.90(d)
Age Range:	16 - 18 Years

About the Author

BRUCE F. BERG is a professor of political science at Fordham University. He is the author of Healing Gotham: New York City’s Public Health Policy for the Twenty-first Century.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments     ix
Introduction     1
The Economic Development Imperative     20
The State and the City     58
The Federal Government and the City     88
Racial and Ethnic Diversity     120
Political Parties in New York City Governance     160
The Charter, the Mayor, and the Other Guys     180
The City Council     212
The Municipal Bureaucracy     244
Conclusion     281
References     293
Index     323

Editorial Reviews

"A definitive, thoughtful, and thought-provoking work of exceptional scholarship, "New York City Politics" is unreservedly recommended for community and academic library Contemporary Political Science collections." 

Midwest Book Review

"A definitive, thoughtful, and thought-provoking work of exceptional scholarship, "New York City Politics" is unreservedly recommended for community and academic library Contemporary Political Science collections." 

From the Publisher

One cannot test the validity of an approach to the study of urban gover­nance based on the behavior of one urban political system, even if that city is the largest city in the country. And no claim regarding the external validity of this approach is made in New York City Politics. But implicit in this study is the hope that others will find this approach valuable and utilize it to examine the governance of other cities' political systems.”
 

Sir Read A Lot

"The study of metropolitan governance in terms of democratic accountability, civil harmony, and service delivery remains a fascinating research area. Berg examines the governance of New York City within its economic, intergovernmental, and social context arguing that these forces constrain decision making by those within and outside the formal structures of government. Recommended." 

Choice - A. E. Wohlers

"The study of metropolitan governance in terms of democratic accountability, civil harmony, and service delivery remains a fascinating research area. Berg examines the governance of New York City within its economic, intergovernmental, and social context arguing that these forces constrain decision making by those within and outside the formal structures of government. Recommended." 

Choice