Power and Pluralism in American Cities: Researching the Urban Laboratory

by Robert J. Waste

Overview

This work may prove a starting point for a broader discussion concerning polyarchies that will lead to additional substantial contributions in this very important area of scholarship. This succinct and easily readable volume is recommende for general university collections and audiences. Perspective

Robert Waste presents a new method of analyzing community power and local government aimed at keeping democracy as a central focus and resolving the conflicts that have created an impasse around key theoretical issues. Providing an in-depth study of Robert A. Dahl's theory of polyarchy and the secondary literature it has generated, he develops a model that not only offers a way to test municipal polyarchy empirically but appreciably strengthens the theoretical base of studies in this area.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780313250163
Publisher:	Bloomsbury Academic
Publication date:	04/15/1987
Series:	Contributions in Political Science , #16
Pages:	194
Product dimensions:	6.14(w) x 9.21(h) x 0.50(d)
Lexile:	1540L (what's this?)

About the Author

ROBERT J. WASTE is Associate Professor of Urban Studies and Director of the Institute of Public and Urban Affairs, San Diego State University.

Table of Contents

Preface
The Rise of American Pluralism
The Critique of American Pluralism
American Pluralism Responds (I)
American Pluralism Responds (II)
Researching the Urban Laboratory
Appendixes: The Empirical Polyarchy Model; Electoral Competition and Press Pluralism Indices; Interview Schedule; Are All U.S. Cities Necessarily Polyarchies?; Polyarchy and Path Analysis
Bibliography
Indexes