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Though it is assumed by some that local gov's are having a constantly decreasing role, the evidence is not conclusive. The manner in which local elective officials exercise leadership will be determining. Changing demands on the traditional functions of local gov & changing complexities of the technological age result in unprecedented responsibility for local elective officals. The leadership role, including planning which encompasses all activity of local gov, demands new, additional personal characteristics to cope with new technology & lifestyles. Modified HA.

Observers of city politics have often stated that political leadership—usually mayoral leadership—is a crucial ingredient in a city's ability to deal with its problems. And studies of successful leaders in urban systems have led to the formulation of a model of the "political entrepreneur" who is adept at accumulating political resources and pyramiding them to gain increased influence. Based on four years of observation of politics in Oakland, California, this study suggests that successful mayoral leadership and resource-pyramiding may be limited by governmental structure, the personality of the mayor, and the nature of the political system.In Oakland, fragmented institutional authority and the council-manager form of government have created obstacles for elected officials. A privately oriented, "nonpolitical" mayor has avoided publicity and has tended to underutilize, rather than pyramid, his resources. Finally, in an amorphous political system characterized by a lack of group and party activity, a mayor is denied both information and support. By examining the ways in which the performance of Oakland's mayor diverges from a model of political leadership, we can identify some of the factors that support or limit such leadership.