Urban Issues: Selections from CQ Researcher

by CQ Researcher

Overview

What are the driving forces behind Smart Cities? What are the ramifications of increasing the minimum wage? What are the causes of aging infrastructure and how should they be addressed?

These are just some of the provocative questions that are considered in the new edition of Urban Issues. For current coverage of urban politics, readers will appreciate the balanced and unbiased reporting of CQ Researcher. Urban Issues provides a window into how policy is created and implemented in America’s cities and is sure to spark classroom discussions. Each chapter examines the key players, stakes, background, and lessons for the future, while covering the range of facts, analyses, and opinions surrounding each issue.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781506361031
Publisher:	SAGE Publications
Publication date:	08/30/2016
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	328
File size:	28 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.

About the Author

CQ Researcher is the choice of librarians, researchers, and students seeking original, comprehensive reporting and analysis on the most vital issues shaping our world. Each weekly report offers in-depth, unbiased coverage of a single topic. Written by CQ Press′s staff of experienced reporters, these reports provide up-to-date information on a wide range of social, economic, political, environmental, and international issues.

Table of Contents

ANNOTATED CONTENTS
PREFACE
CONTRIBUTORS
EDUCATION
1. Dropout Rate
Is societal change needed for graduation rates to rise?
Are successful local dropout programs viable nationwide?
Are the federal government’s efforts to raise graduation rates working?
Background
Early Origins
“Waste We Cannot Afford”
Seeking Solutions
Research and Action
Current Situation
Washington Gridlock
Fewer “Dropout Factories”
Concern Over Standards
Outlook: Striving for 90 Percent
Notes
Bibliography
2. Race and Education
Was court-ordered school desegregation effective?
Have charter schools and school choice laws increased racial separation?
Has teacher tenure contributed to racial disparities in education?
Background
Legal Segregation
Brown v. Board of Education
Desegregation
Integration Declines
Current Situation
Education Challenges
Enforcing Civil Rights
State Action
Outlook: Changes Coming?
Notes
Bibliography
LAND USE AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT
3. Coastal Development
Should state and local governments block coastal development?
Can the federal flood insurance program be fixed?
Does New York City need floodgates?
Background
Wealth and Trade Centers
Rush to the Shore
Coasts Under Pressure
In Harm’s Way
Current Situation
Clashing Signals
Flood Insurance Fraud?
Rising Seas
Outlook: Resilient Coastlines
Notes
Bibliography
4. Air Pollution and Climate Change
Is President Obama’s Clean Power Plan good policy?
Is the EPA’s new ozone standard good policy?
Can renewable energy become a major contributor to the power industry?
Background
Early Air Pollution
Carbon Dioxide Measured
Clean Air Act
Acid Rain
Regulating Emissions
Current Situation
Global Negotiations
Court Fight
Outlook: Obama Agenda
Notes
Bibliography
LAW ENFORCEMENT
5. Police Tactics
Do SWAT teams and military tactics and weaponry have a place in policing?
Has police use of military-style tactics increased tensions with minority communities?
Do body cameras prevent police misconduct?
Background
Troops in the Streets
War on Drugs
Drawing Fire
New Tensions
Current Situation
Stemming the Flow
Troubled Cities
Outlook: Re-engineering Police Culture
Notes
Bibliography
6. Racial Profiling
Are racial- and ethnic-profiling prevalent in U.S. law enforcement today?
Do aggressive stop-and-frisk tactics help reduce crime?
Should courts take a leading role in combating police racial and ethnic profiling?
Background
“A Difficult History”
An ‘Indefensible’ Practice
‘Deliberate Indifference’?
Current Situation
Pressure for Change
Mixed Results for Prosecutors
Outlook: Regaining Trust?
Notes
Bibliography
7. Fighting Gangs
Is the gang threat growing?
Is banning street gangs from congregating an effective anti-gang strategy?
Can former gang members help quell street violence?
Background
Immigrant Gangs
Postwar Gangs
Birth of Modern Gangs
Current Situation
Gangs on the Internet
Policy Progress
Outlook: Growing Sophistication
Notes
Bibliography
RACE, CLASS, AND ETHNICITY
8. Racial Conflict
Would improving police interactions with African-Americans significantly advance race relations in America?
Would new laws and government programs reduce institutional racism?
Does government need to recommit to school desegregation?
Background
Slavery and Jim Crow
‘White Affirmative Action’
Civil Rights
Economic Shifts
Current Situation
Police on Trial
Campus Revolts
Outlook: Hope and Fear
Notes
Bibliography
9. Housing the Homeless
Does unemployment cause most homelessness?
Is Housing First the best way to keep people from reverting to homelessness?
Should homeless families receive bigger or longer-lasting housing subsidies?
Background
“I Ain’t Got No Home”
Emptying Asylums
The “New Homeless”
New Strategies
Current Situation
Arresting the Problem
Alternate Approach
Outlook: “A Human Right”
Notes
Bibliography
10. Wealth and Inequality
Does income inequality hamper economic growth?
Are parental background and inheritance becoming more important for success?
Should the wealthy be taxed more?
Background
‘Fatal Ailment’
Postwar Prosperity
The Great Switch
Current Situation
Proposed Fixes
Executive Pay
Outlook: ‘Oligarchic Evolution’
Notes
Bibliography
11. Housing Discrimination
Are current government policies contributing to residential segregation?
Are current real estate and lending practices contributing to residential segregation?
Can local officials do more to reduce racial segregation in housing?
Background
Separate Worlds
Slow Changes
Unsettled Times
Current Situation
Stepping Up Efforts
Squaring Off in Court
Outlook: Political Challenges
Notes
Bibliography
12. Fighting Urban Poverty
Would more federal aid reduce poverty in urban areas?
Do federal housing programs alleviate urban poverty?
Should the business community play a larger role in solving urban poverty?
Background
Expanding Slums
Depression Era
“War on Poverty”
Recession Takes Root
Current Situation
Promise Zones
Workplace Issues
Presidential Candidates
Outlook: Economy Is Key
Notes
Bibliography