Rogues, rebels, and rubber stamps: the politics of the Chicago City Council from 1863 to the present

Cover -- Half Title -- Title -- Copyright -- Dedication -- Contents -- List of Tables and Illustrations -- Preface -- Prologue: The Clash in the Council -- Revising Regime Studies -- Studying the Chicago City Council -- Notes -- Part I: Divided Councils -- 1 Nineteenth-Century and Civil War Councils: 1833-1871 -- Mayor and Party Leaders in the Civil War City Council -- Civil War Clashes -- The Powers of Local Government -- The End of the War, 1863-1865 -- Notes -- 2 The Councils of the Gray Wolves, 1871-1931 -- The Birth of Chicago Machine Politics, 1871-1905 -- Edward Dunne's Council, 1905-1907 -- Fred Busse's Council, 1907-1908 -- Big Bill Thompson's Councils, 1915-1923 and 1927-1931 -- Fragmented City Councils -- Notes -- Part II: Rubber Stamp Councils -- 3 Kelly-Nash Machine Council, 1933-1947 -- The City Council, 1939-1940 -- The Chicago Machine -- Notes -- 4 Richard J. Daley's Rubber Stamp, 1955-1976 -- Aldermanic Elections of 1955 -- The Council of 1955 -- Richard J. Daley's Last Years -- Participatory Versus Machine Politics -- Notes -- 5 Michael Bilandic's Interlude, 1976-1979 -- The Bilandic Council -- The Silent Revolution -- Notes -- 6 Jane Byrne's Turmoil, 1979-1983 -- The Byrne Council: Young Turks Come to Power -- Tearing Down the Daley Machine -- Growing Revolt in the African-American Community -- Notes -- Part III: Council Wars and Chaos -- 7 Harold Washington's Council Wars, 1983-1987 -- 1983 Campaign -- Council Wars -- 1987 Elections -- From Council Wars to Rubber Stamp -- The Brief Triumph of Progressive Politics -- Notes -- 8 Eugene Sawyer's Chaos, 1987-1989 -- Sawyer's Selection -- The Sawyer City Council -- Chaotic Interlude -- Notes -- Part IV: Return to Mayoral Control -- 9 Daley's Return, 1989-2003 -- Democratic Primary -- General Election -- The New Daley Council -- The New Daley Machine -- Notes

In Rogues, Rebels, and Rubber Stamps, Dick Simpson challenges and recasts current theories of Regime Politics as he chronicles the dramatic story of the civic wars in the Chicago City Council since the civil war. At the same time, the author provides a window into the broader struggle for democracy and justice.Simpson points out that through analyzing city council floor fights, battles at the ballot box, and street demonstrations, one can begin to see certain patterns of conflict emerge. These patterns demonstrate that before the Great Depression, fragmented city councils were dominant. The author also discusses how since the Democrats seized control of Chicago government after the Great Depression, Rubber Stamp City Councils have been predominant, although they have been punctuated by brief eras of council wars and chaos. This book is important for anyone wanting to understand the nature of these battles as a guideline for America's future, and is well suited for courses in urban politics, affairs and history.Rogues, Rebels, and Rubber Stamps received an Honorable Mention for the 2001 Society of Midland Authors Book Award for Adult Non-Fiction.