People & Politics in Urban America (Garland Reference Library of Social Science)

This ground-breaking basic textbook for courses on urban politics is now fully revised and updated. The Kweits challenge the notion that urban politics is dominated by political economy. Denying the view that political officials -- and by extension, ordinary citizens -- were powerless in the face of dominant economic interests, the authors examine how policy in cities changes as new groups of citizens became politically mobilized. Using empirical research, the Kweits show that despite the undeniable importance of economic issues, citizens do play a significant role in urban politics.