CONTEMPORARY URBAN POLITICS

This course examines urban, suburban, and metropolitan government, politics, and policy in a federal and state context with a special focus on the Boston metropolitan area. This subnational or local level is where many of the major conflicts and changes in our society happen. These involve important questions of poverty and race; jobs; housing and economic development; education; health and human services; transportation; land use; and the environment.

We focus on controversies/issues such as how well is local politics working? why does it work this way? what are the biases in the systems? who wins and who loses? and how can the systems be changed? Attention is given to the players, the strategies, structures, and contexts which influence decision making. The course will also focus on policy formulation, implementation, and evaluation, and examine selected urban policies. We will ask how well are they working and why do they work the way they do. For example, how important is governmental structure? How important is leadership? How important is economics? How important are the federal and state governments?

The goal of this approach is to improve critical thinking--the ability to analyze problems, identify assumptions, see connections, and develop arguments--and the ability to influence many situations. To encourage participation in urban politics, two five page papers are required. These papers are to be based on field work--observations of governmental meetings and/or interviews with participants in state and local politics with a special focus on the Boston metropolitan area. They should relate the field work to ideas in the class and the readings; they can be group or individual projects. Instructions will be handed out and discussed fully in class. The Filene Center is prepared to help you make connections to do site visits, observations, and informational interviews.

The following books are required reading:

John Harrigan, Political Change in the Metropolis, (Addison, Wesley, Longman, 6th edition)
Nicholas Lemann, The Promised Land (Vintage Books, 1992)
Rufus Browning, Dale Rogers Marshall, David Tabb, eds., Racial Politics in American Cities, (Longman, 2nd edition, 1997)
Paul Peterson, The Price of Federalism (Brookings, 1995)

They are available in the bookstore and reserve book room. Since the success of this class depends to a great extent on student participation, it is important that students complete the assigned reading and written assignments by the weeks indicated below and come to class prepared to discuss and question it. The recommended readings are on reserve and should be valuable for your papers. A list of additional sources and web sites will be distributed.

The first paper is due Wednesday, October 20. The second paper is due Wednesday,
December 1. An initial progress report on the first paper is due on Wednesday, October 6. Rough drafts for the first paper are due on Wednesday, October 13 and for the second on Wednesday, November 17. A short answer mid-term is scheduled for Wednesday, October 27. Groups of students working on related topics will lead sessions on their topics in the last weeks of the class. Students are required to read a metropolitan newspaper such as the Boston Globe or The New York Times and use it for the class.

The final essay exam will be designed to encourage the synthesis of various aspects of the course. Grading: Each paper constitutes 20% of the grade, the mid-term is 10%, the final exam is 40%, and class participation and written assignments are 10%.