New York City Politics

Governing Gotham

By Bruce F. Berg

Rutgers University Press

Most experts consider economic development to be the dominant factor influencing urban politics. They point to the importance of the finance and real estate industries, the need to improve the tax base, and the push to create jobs. Bruce F. Berg maintains that there are three forces which are equally important in explaining New York City politics: economic development; the city’s relationships with the state and federal governments, which influence taxation, revenue and public policy responsibilities; and New York City’s racial and ethnic diversity, resulting in demands for more equitable representation and greater equity in the delivery of public goods and services.

New York City Politics focuses on the impact of these three forces on the governance of New York City’s political system including the need to promote democratic accountability, service delivery equity, as well as the maintenance of civil harmony. This second edition updates the discussion with examples from the Bloomberg and de Blasio administrations as well as current public policy issues including infrastructure, housing and homelessness, land use regulations, and education.

The study of metropolitan governance in terms of democratic accountability, civil harmony, and service delivery remains a fascinating research area. Berg examines the governance of New York City within its economic, intergovernmental, and social context arguing that these forces constrain decision making by those within and outside the formal structures of government. Recommended.' A. E. Wohlers, Choice

One cannot test the validity of an approach to the study of urban governance based on the behavior of one urban political system, even if that city is the largest city in the country. And no claim regarding the external validity of this approach is made in New York City Politics. But implicit in this study is the hope that others will find this approach valuable and utilize it to examine the governance of other cities' political systems.’
Sir Read A Lot

A definitive, thoughtful, and thought-provoking work of exceptional scholarship, 'New York City Politics' is unreservedly recommended for community and academic library Contemporary Political Science collections.' Midwest Book Review

The study of metropolitan governance in terms of democratic accountability, civil harmony, and service delivery remains a fascinating research area. Berg examines the governance of New York City within its economic, intergovernmental, and social context arguing that these forces constrain decision making by those within and outside the formal structures of government. Recommended.' A. E. Wohlers, Choice

One cannot test the validity of an approach to the study of urban governance based on the behavior of one urban political system, even if that city is the largest city in the country. And no claim regarding the external validity of this approach is made in New York City Politics. But implicit in this study is the hope that others will find this approach valuable and utilize it to examine the governance of other cities' political systems.’
Sir Read A Lot

A definitive, thoughtful, and thought-provoking work of exceptional scholarship, 'New York City Politics' is unreservedly recommended for community and academic library Contemporary Political Science collections.' Midwest Book Review

BRUCE F. BERG is a professor of political science at Fordham University. He is the author of Healing Gotham: New York City’s Public Health Policy for the Twenty-first Century.

1 Introduction

2 The Economic Development Imperative

3 The State and the City

4 The Federal Government and the City

5 Racial and Ethnic Diversity

6 Political Parties in New York City Governance

7 The Charter, the Mayor, and the Other Guys

8 The City Council

9 The Municipal Bureaucracy

Conclusion

Acknowledgments

References