Suchergebnisse

For some time urban scholars in political science have been estranged from the mainstream scholarship of their discipline. In this article I offer three explanations for this phenomenon. First, in the 1960s urban scholarship became wedded to the political project of savings the cities—an ideological commitment that still colors urban research. Second, urban scholarship continues to reflect the reform traditions inherited from the Progressive Period. Third, urban scholars have been prone to excessive rhetoric when describing the urban condition. These three tendencies have combined to make the study of cities a somewhat insular enterprise.

In this pathbreaking book, J. Eric Oliver proposes to answer an ambitious and important question: Has suburbanization brought about a decline of civic engagement in America? This question is, obviously, immensely important because more than half of all Americans live in suburbs. Whatever they think and how they vote and however much they participate in the civic life of their communities has enormous consequences, not only within the suburbs but also for the nation as a whole. The question is also consequential in light of the national debate that seems to have been provoked by the recent work on social capital. As Oliver notes, Robert Putnam has blamed suburbanization for part of the alleged loss in social capital in America. The general claim that suburbs have killed community and civic engagement is hardly new, and it has recently been amplified by (among others) advocates of the new urbanism. Oliver boldly states that "such claims are without any empirical basis" (p. 2), and he takes it as his task to supply the missing evidence that might answer the question. In doing so, he has produced a remarkable book, literally the first one ever published to present definitive evidence on the crucial issue of the impact of the suburbs on American democracy.

Offers a historical analysis of the federal government's urban policies, particularly those enacted 1930s-1960s, to argue for their profound effect on race relations & racial equality in the US. Despite their stated intentions, such policies actually served to perpetuate racial discrimination & segregation, particularly for blacks. During the New Deal in the 1930s, Democrats strove to appeal to blacks anxious to achieve social equality & political representation; today, blacks often feel betrayed by the Democrats, & their participation in the New Deal coalition seems to have been of little long-term effect. It is argued that the failure of Democratic efforts rests on the policies of the federal government, particularly in the arenas of housing & urban development, which maintained segregation & discrimination on the basis of race in the cities, thwarting liberal promises of support for civil rights. Even after the passage of the 1968 Federal Fair Housing Act, racial segregation & discrimination remained stalwart; reasons for this lack of effectiveness are explored. It is concluded that affirmative action policies alone will be inadequate for ameliorating this situation in the future. K. H. Stewart