Power in the City: Clarence Stone and the Politics of Inequity / Edition 1

by Marion Orr, Valerie C. Johnson

Overview

A leading theorist in urban politics, Clarence Stone redefined the field with his prize-winning book Regime Politics and is now acknowledged as the father of "regime analysis." Over the course of four decades, he has examined political power and leadership, race and politics, and the politics of social reform in urban settings through writings that have critiqued, debated, and recast large questions about democracy and inequality.

This book collects ten classic articles and essays by Stone to create a succinct reader in urban politics. It encompasses theoretical work on urban political power; examinations of political leadership in community politics; considerations of race, class, and political power in Atlanta; and writings on the politics of social reform and urban regeneration. These pieces provide a model for integrating empiricism with theory, offer Stone's own reflections on his theory, and demonstrate the evolution of his thought.

The volume also features three new pieces. The editors' introduction provides an insightful assessment of the place of urban politics in political science and an overview of Stone's contributions to the field. Stone himself provides a brand new essay that paints a vision for a new urban agenda, using the regime concept as a base on which to build for the future. And Jennifer Hochschild's concluding chapter assesses Stone's work and lays out alternative perspectives, locating his scholarship within political science and pointing out its many strengths as well as some of its omissions.

This collection reminds those interested in discourse about democracy, representation, inequality, justice, and power of the advantages that studying cities can bring to these important issues. It also serves to redirect urbanists to important foundational aspects of the urban regime framework and will stand as the legacy of the most influential theorist in his field.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780700615735
Publisher:	University Press of Kansas
Publication date:	02/26/2008
Series:	Studies in Government and Public Policy
Pages:	368
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x (d)

About the Author

Marion Orr is Fred Lippitt Professor of Public Policy and professor of political science and urban studies at Brown University. His books include Black Social Capital: The Politics of School Reform in Baltimore and Transforming the City: Community Organizing and the Challenge of Political Change. Valerie C. Johnson is associate professor of political science at DePaul University and author of Black Power in the Suburbs: The Myth or Reality of African-American Suburban Political Incorporation.

Table of Contents

Foreword, Dianne M. Pinderhughes

Preface and Acknowledgments

1. Power and Local Democracy: Clarence N. Stone and American Political Science, Marion Orr and Valerie C. Johnson

Part 1. Power, Social Stratification, and Local Democracy

2. Systemic Power in Community Decision Making: A Restatement of Stratification Theory, Clarence N. Stone

3. Social Stratification, Nondecision, and the Study of Community Power, Clarence N. Stone

4. Urban Regimes and the Capacity to Govern: A Political Economy Approach, Clarence N. Stone

Part 2. Urban Political Leadership

5. Paradigms, Power, and Urban Leadership, Clarence N. Stone

6. Political Leadership in Urban Politics, Clarence N. Stone

Part 3. Race, Class, and Politics in Atlanta

7. Race, Power, and Political Change, Clarence N. Stone

8. Race and Regime in Atlanta, Clarence N. Stone

Part 4. Power, Politics, and Urban Social Reform

9. Civic Capacity and Urban Education, Clarence N. Stone

10. Powerful Actors Versus Compelling Actions, Clarence N. Stone

11. Civic Capacity: What, Why, and from Whence, Clarence N. Stone

Part 5. Conclusion: Reflections and Prospects

12. Urban Politics Then and Now, Clarence N. Stone

13. Clarence N. Stone and the Study of Urban Politics, Jennifer Hochschild

Contributors

Index

What People are Saying About This

Dennis Judd

Clarence Stone's research on urban power and civic capacity is foundational; he has no peer. This book will instantly become an essential reference work not only for scholars, but for all those interested in the dynamics of power and the possibilities for change. (Dennis Judd, coauthor of City Politics)

Susan S. Fainstein

An invaluable addition to the library of all urbanists and especially to those who entered the field because of a commitment to social justice. (Susan S. Fainstein, author of The City Builders)

Wilbur C. Rich

A genuine tour de force that captures the essence of Clarence Stone's unique urban scholarship. (Wilbur C. Rich, author of Black Mayors and School Politics)

Editorial Reviews

Clarence Stone’s research on urban power and civic capacity is foundational; he has no peer. This book will instantly become an essential reference work not only for scholars, but for all those interested in the dynamics of power and the possibilities for change.”—Dennis Judd, coauthor of City Politics

“An invaluable addition to the library of all urbanists and especially to those who entered the field because of a commitment to social justice.”—Susan S. Fainstein, author of The City Builders

“A genuine tour de force that captures the essence of Clarence Stone’s unique urban scholarship.”—Wilbur C. Rich, author of Black Mayors and School Politics

From the Publisher