Reading Questions
The Political Economy of
Cities
Contrast Paul Peterson’s (City Limits) and Todd Swanstrom’s (Semi-Sovereign Cities) perspectives on the following.
1. What considerations motivate
political decisions by local elected officials?
2. Who has the real power in the city? Why?
3. How do these theories of
community power relate to the debate between elite theorists, pluralists and
anti-pluralists?
4.
Why don't cities (that are largely comprised of poor people) engage in
higher levels of redistribution? In
other words, why don't they tax the rich to help the poor?