URBAN POLITICS (PSCI 3071)
Class Schedule and Location: MWF 9:00 AM – 9:50 AM – MUEN E431
Here follows the on-line version of the syllabus. You can download a PDF version here.
I. Course Overview
This course offers a broad overview of urban politics and policies with consideration of the interplay of globalization, private investment processes, citizen activism, and public policy processes. The first part of the course will focus initially on the political history of urbanization in the US. The second part will highlight urban politics & policy issues in American cities. This semester will devote particular attention to the issues of urban sprawl, environmental protection, education, crime. The third part of the focus will zero in on selected US metropolis for the analysis of their political issues.
II. Requirements
This is an upper division political science course that places a heavy emphasis on students’ participation and writing. Class attendance is strongly recommended. NOTE: repeated absence (more than 10%) may result in a low class participation grade. Students are therefore expected to attend all class sessions and complete the assigned readings prior to class.
The final grade is based on participation, two exams, and a policy brief. Your grade is determined as follows:
- Class participation: 20%. This grade will be determined by the students’ attendance and participation in the discussion sections. During discussion sessions, students will be called randomly to answer questions of relevance to the class topics. Students should come prepared to discussion sessions with a few questions on the week readings and/or lectures. I strongly encourage every student to participate actively in class; however, should you feel uncomfortable about speaking in front of your fellow classmates, you can email me questions and comments before each class. That will count toward your participation grade in the same way as in-class interaction. We’ll have a class blog (please follow the link on my website). If you send me comments and questions to post on the blog, those will count as participation as well.
- Exam #1 (In-Class): 25%. The first exam will test students on their knowledge of the material covered in first part of the semester. It will have both a multiple-choice section and an essay/short answer section.
- Policy Brief: 30%. This assignment will test students on their ability to use the theoretical knowledge they acquired in a practical way. Students will produce a brief on a topic of their choice amongst the ones proposed in class or will propose a topic to the instructor. Proposals are due in electronic format by October 12th. The purpose of the brief is to inform a local political leader on the issue(s) at stake and to propose policy recommendations based on the students’ knowledge. The brief’s length should be between 10 and 12 double-spaced pages (6-8 single-spaced). Further details on the brief’s format will be provided in class. The brief is due in class on Friday, November 13th. Students are required to deliver BOTH an electronic AND a hard copy of their briefs. Failure to comply with this requirement will result in a 10% grade reduction. The late delivery policy is as follows: no brief will be accepted after class on the day of the deadline. Missing the deadline will result in a zero in the assignment grade.
- Exam #2 (In-Class): 25%. The second exam will test students on their knowledge of the material covered in the last parts of the semester. It will have both a multiple-choice section and an essay/short answer section.
- Extra Credit: this assignment consists in choosing an article from selected sources (which will be provided during the semester) and critique it. The minimum possible grade is 0 points and the maximum is 5 (5% of the final grade). In no way the extra credit assignment can result in negative points.
III. Readings
Readings will include both books and articles.
The following books are required for the class and are available for purchase at the UMC bookstore:
- Dennis R. Judd and Todd Swanstrom, “City Politics –
The Political Economy of Urban America” (7th edition),
Pearson Longman, 2008 (REQUIRED)
▪ V.V. A.A. “Urban Issues: Selections from CQ Researcher”. 4th ed. CQ Press, 2008. (REQUIRED)
Assigned articles and book chapters are listed in the course schedule. Links to the articles are on the class’ website and on the syllabus.
Please remember to check the class website and my blog for updates and changes in the schedule:
IV. Schedule
Dates to Remember:
- Friday October 16th: In-Class Exam
#1
▪ Monday October 12th: Policy Brief proposal deadline
▪ Friday November 13th: Policy Brief Due in Class
▪ Friday November 20th: Extra credit deadline
▪ Friday December 11th: In-Class Exam #2
Part I: The Modern American City
Week #1: Introduction
Mon. Aug. 24
Class description & Introduction to topics
No readings
Wed. Aug. 26
Introduction on Cities
Presentation / City Politics, Ch. 1. Download Handouts.
Fri. Aug. 28
The Political Legacy of America’s Urban Past
City Politics, Ch. 2.
Assignment: watch “Gangs of New York”, by Martin Scorsese
(2002)
Week #2: The Struggle for Primacy and Power
Mon. Aug. 31
Party Machines and the Immigrants. Download Handouts
City
Politics, Ch. 3.
Wed. Sep. 2
The Reform Crusades
City Politics, Ch. 4
Fri. Sep. 4
Urban Voters and the Reshaping National Politics.
Download Handouts
City
Politics, Ch. 5
Week #3-4: The Urban Crisis of the Twentieth Century
Mon. Sep. 7
LABOR DAY – NO CLASS
Wed. Sep. 9
The City-Suburban Divide . Download Handouts
City
Politics, Ch. 6
Fri. Sep. 11
National Policy and the City/Suburban Divide
City Politics, Ch. 7
Mon. Sep. 14
Urban Policy and the Politics of Race. Download Handouts
1.
City Politics, Ch. 8
2. TED Talks: Majora Carter: Greening the ghetto
http://www.ted.com/talks/majora_carter_s_tale_of_urban_renewal.html
Wed. Sep. 16
The Rise of the Sunbelt. Donwload Handouts
1.
City Politics, Ch. 9
2. Glaeser, Edward L., and Kristina Tobio. 2007. “The Rise of the Sunbelt”. National
Bureau of Economic Research Working Paper Series No.
13071 (April). http://www.nber.org/papers/w13071.
Parts: I (Introduction), II (Why did the South raise
again?), VII (Conclusions).
Fri. Sep 18
Discussion
Proposed Policy Brief Titles
1. The Chicago Metropolitan Area is in dire need of
upgrading its transportation infrastructure. Brief the
Chicago's Mayor on how to develop a viable plan for the
city's future.
2. The media reported that racial tension amongst ethnic
communities is breeding in Los Angeles. Brief the Mayor on
how to address the issue.
3. New York City's mayor has announced a groundbreaking
plan to reduce the city's greenhouse gases emission as much
as 30% by 2030. Advise the mayor on how to gather the
largest support possible for the success of his plan.
4. New Orleans' levees system is still in need of upgrading
and management consolidation. Advise the mayor on how to
change the situation.
5. Houston's mayor wants to launch an ambitious plan to
make the city advance as one of the most important
financial centers in the US. Advise the mayor on the best
strategy to achieve his goal.
6. Boulder City Council is considering a new project to
renew the Hill district. Brief the Council on the best
course of action for the Hill.
7. The Westminster City Council and the Westminster Housing
Authority are considering whether to give the green light
to a new housing development like Bradburn Village. Brief
them on the pros and cons of such a development.
8. Denver City Administration is trying to choose a
location for a new recreation center. Brief the Mayor and
the Council on viable choices for this redevelopment.
9. Chicago has launched its bid for the 2016 Olympics game
but some of its residents are wary of relocation because of
the construction of new facilities for the Games. Advise
the Mayor on how to gain more political support for the
Olympic bid.
10. After a devastating tornado that leveled the city in
2007, Greensburg, Kansas, decided to rebuild following
eco-friendly guidelines. Brief the Mayor of [INSERT CITY]
on how to replicate some of Greensburg’s success.
Instructions: how to write a policy
brief
Week #5-6: The Fractured Metropolis
Mon. Sep. 21
The Politics of Suburban Development. Download Handouts
City
Politics, Ch. 10
Wed. Sep. 23
Governing the Fragmented Metropolis. Download Handouts
City
Politics, Ch. 11
Fri. Sep. 25
City Finances and the Dynamics of Growth
1. City Politics, Ch. 12
2. Anon. 2009. Tough Decisions and Limited Options: How
Philadelphia and Other Cities are Balancing Budgets in a
Time of Recession - The Pew Charitable Trusts.
Philadelphia Research Initiative. The Pew Charitable
Trust, May 18.
http://www.pewtrusts.org/our_work_report_detail.aspx?id=52092&category=578.
Mon. Sep. 28
The Fall and Rise of Inner Cities
City Politics, Ch. 13
Wed. Sep. 30
Downtown Renaissance
Urban Issues, Ch. 11
Fri. Oct. 2
Governance in the Global Era + Discussion
City Politics, Ch. 15
Part II: Contemporary
Urban Politics Issues
Week #7: Urban vs. Suburban: The Debate on Sprawl
Mon. Oct. 5
The Bad Download Handouts
1.
Katz, Bruce. 2005. An Urban Age in a Suburban Nation? In
. The Brookings Institution, February 25.
http://www.brookings.edu/views/speeches/katz/20050225_urbanage.htm.
2. Atkin, Ross. 2002. Planned growth vs. sprawl: the best and
worst cities. Christian Science Monitor, December 4.
http://www.csmonitor.com/2002/1204/p15s01-lihc.html.
3. TED Talks: James Howard Kunstler: The tragedy of
suburbia
http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/james_howard_kunstler_dissects_suburbia.html
Wed. Oct. 7
The Good
1. Kotkin, Joel. 2009. America's (Sub)Urban Future. New
Geography. May 5.
http://www.newgeography.com/content/00783-americas-suburban-future.
2. Kotkin, Joel. 2005. The New Suburbanism - A Realist Guide to the American
future. Costa Mesa, CA: The Planning Center,
November.
http://www.joelkotkin.com/Urban_Affairs/The%20New%20Suburbanism.pdf.
3. Kotkin, Joel. 2006. Toward a New Suburbanism. Metropolis,
March 20.
http://www.metropolismag.com/story/20060320/toward-a-new-suburbanism.
Friday, Oct. 9
The Ugly? Download Handouts
1.
National Geographic | New Suburb?: Sprawl vs. "Smart
Growth".
http://www.nationalgeographic.com/features/00/earthpulse/sprawl/index_flash-feature.html.
2. Urban Sprawl @
nationalgeographic.com.
http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/ngm/data/2001/07/01/html/ft_20010701.3.html.
3. Kotkin, Joel. 2006. IN PRAISE OF SUBURBS. San Francisco
Chronicle, January 29, sec. Sunday Insight.
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article/article?f=/c/a/2006/01/29/INGHSGSE691.DTL.
Week #8: The Environment, Cities and Suburbs
Mon. Oct. 12 Policy Brief proposal
deadline
The Greenness of Cities Download Handouts
1.
Glaeser, E. L, and M. Kahn. 2008. The Greenness of Cities. Rappaport
Institute for Greater Boston Policy Brief.
http://www.hks.harvard.edu/rappaport/downloads/policybriefs/greencities_final.pdf.
2. Glaeser, Edward L. 2009. Green Cities, Brown Suburbs. City
Journal, Winter.
http://www.city-journal.org/2009/19_1_green-cities.html.
Wed. Oct. 14
Emissions & Policies Download Handouts
1.
Cox, Wendell. 2009. Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Reality:
Residential Emissions | Newgeography.com. New
Geography. April 8.
http://www.newgeography.com/content/00728-greenhouse-gas-emissions-and-reality-residential-emissions.
2. Glaeser, Edward L. 2009. How Environmentalism Misses the Forest
for the Trees. Economix. April 21.
http://economix.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/04/21/missing-the-forest-for-the-trees/.
3. SustainLaneTV: Interviewing Mayors from Top US
Cities. 2008, November 27.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ut9YAA0tKSQ.
Fri. Oct. 16
In-Class Exam #1
Week #9: Immigration and Poverty
Mon. Oct. 19
Domestic Poverty Download Handouts
1.
Urban Issues Ch. 1: Domestic Poverty
2. Fischer, Mary. 2008. Shifting Geographies: Examining the Role
of Suburbanization in Blacks' Declining Segregation.
Urban Affairs Review 43, no. 4 (March 1): 475-496.
3. Malanga, Steven. 2008. We Don’t Need Another War on Poverty.
City Journal, Autumn.
http://www.city-journal.org/2008/18_4_war_on_poverty.html.
Wed. Oct. 21
Immigration & The City Download Handouts
1.
Urban Issues Ch. 2: Immigration Debate
2. Cutler, David M., Edward L. Glaeser, and Jacob L.
Vigdor. 2007. When Are Ghettos Bad? Lessons from Immigrant
Segregation in the United States. National Bureau of
Economic Research Working Paper Series No. 13082 (May).
http://www.nber.org/papers/w13082.
3. Steven Malanga, “Do Immigrants Still Nourish Cities?,”
City Journal, Summer 2007.
http://www.city-journal.org/html/17_3_sndgs02.html
Fri. Oct. 23
Discussion
Week #10: Housing & Crime
Mon. Oct. 26
Housing here & there, now & then. Download Handouts
1.
Schodorf, Brian. 2007. Harold Ickies Projects "Poverty in
Chicago" PBS Documentary. April 20.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o80wKKJI6uc.
2. Levitt, Steven D, and Sudhir Alladi Venkatesh. 2001.
Growing up in the Projects: The Economic
Lives of a Cohort of Men Who Came of Age in Chicago
Public Housing. The American Economic Review 91, no.
2, Papers and Proceedings of the Hundred Thirteenth
Annual Meeting of the American Economic Association
(May): 79-84.
3. Malanga, Steven. 2009. Obsessive Housing Disorder. City
Journal 19, no. 2 (Spring).
http://www.city-journal.org/2009/19_2_homeownership.html.
Wed. Oct. 28
Crime Fighting & Crime Prevention Download Handouts
1.
Urban Issues Ch. 7: Fighting Crime
2. Mac Donald, Heather. 2009. New York’s Indispensable Institution.
City Journal, July 7.
http://www.city-journal.org/2009/nytom_nypd.html.
Fri. Oct 30
Discussion
Brick City, Episode 1. Download from iTunes ($1.99)
Keizer, Kees, Siegwart Lindenberg, and Linda Steg. 2008.
The Spreading of Disorder. Science
322, no. 5908 (December 12): 1681-1685.
doi:10.1126/science.1161405.
Additional (non-mandatory) material:
1. Anon. 2006. Cabrini-Green Transformation.
Chicago, December 25.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lDLq_08inYU.
2. Pisarski, Alan. 2009. The Tipping Point: The
Transportation-Housing Trade-Offs of Suburban, Urban and
Rural Living. Heritage Foundation White Papers. Washington,
D.C.: The Heritage Foundation, May 22.
http://www.heritage.org/research/smartgrowth/wp052209a.cfm.
3. Renn, Aaron. 2009. Chicago: Preventing the
Self-Destruction of Diversity | Newgeography.com. New
Geography. June 10.
http://www.newgeography.com/content/00845-chicago-preventing-self-destruction-diversity.
4. Vigdor, Jacob L. 2007. Is Urban Decay Bad? Is Urban
Revitalization Bad Too? National Bureau of Economic
Research Working Paper Series No. 12955 (March).
http://www.nber.org/papers/w12955.
Week #11: Urban Schools
Mon. Nov. 2
School Performance. Download Handouts
1.
Urban issues Ch. 5: Fixing Urban Schools
2. Greene, J. P. 2003. This Works: Improving Urban
Education. Center for Civic Innovation - Civic
Bulletin. Center for Civic Innovation at the Manhattan
Institute.
http://www.manhattan-institute.org/pdf/cb_34.pdf
3. Greene, J. P, and M. A Winters. 2006. The effect of residential school choice on
public high school graduation rates. Peabody Journal
of Education 81, no. 1: 203–216.
http://www.manhattan-institute.org/pdf/ewp_09.pdf
Wed. Nov. 4
Education and Race I. Download Handouts
Urban
Issues Ch. 6: Racial Diversity in Public Schools
Fri. Nov. 6
Education and Race II
Baum, Howell S. 2004. Smart Growth and School Reform - What if
We Talked about Race and Took Community Seriously?
Journal of the American Planning Association 70, no. 1:
14.
Part III:
Contemporary US Metropolises
Week #12: US Metropolis I
Mon. Nov. 9
Chicago and its Success. Download Handouts
1.
“Survey: Daley City,” The Economist
378, no. 8469 (March 18, 2006).
2. “Survey: Brawn Yields to Brains,” The
Economist 378, no. 8469 (March 18, 2006).
3. “Survey: No Little Plans,” The
Economist 378, no. 8469 (March 18, 2006).
4. “Survey: A Success Story,” The
Economist 378, no. 8469 (March 18, 2006).
5. “Survey: The Mexican Motor,” The
Economist 378, no. 8469 (March 18, 2006).
6. Renn, Aaron. 2008. The Urbanophile: Chicago: Corporate Headquarters and the
Global City. The Urbanophile. October 8.
http://theurbanophile.blogspot.com/2008/10/chicago-corporate-headquarters-and.html.
7. Renn, Aaron. 2009. The Urbanophile: Chicago: A Declaration of
Independence. The Urbanophile. January 17.
http://theurbanophile.blogspot.com/2009/01/chicago-declaration-of-independence.html.
Wed. Nov. 11
New York, resurrected city of services. Download Handouts
1.
Mac Donald, Heather. 2009. New York’s Indispensable Institution.
City Journal, July 7.
http://www.city-journal.org/2009/nytom_nypd.html.
2. Glaeser, Edward L., and Giacomo A.M. Ponzetto. 2007.
Did the Death of Distance Hurt Detroit
and Help New York? National Bureau of Economic
Research Working Paper Series No. 13710 (December).
http://www.nber.org/papers/w13710. (SELECTED PARTS)
3. Glaeser, Edward L. 2008. Houston, New York Has a Problem. City
Journal, Summer.
http://www.city-journal.org/2008/18_3_houston.html.
Fri. Nov. 13
Discussion
Policy Brief Due In Class
Week #13: US Metropolis II
Mon. Nov. 16
Detroit, three decades in decline. Download Handout
1.
“The Lowdown on Motown,” The
Economist, February 1, 2007,
2. “Back from the Dead,” The Economist,
October 25, 2007,
3. Cristiano, Robert J. 2009. The Changing Landscape of America: The
Fate of Detroit | Newgeography.com. New Geography.
May 29.
http://www.newgeography.com/content/00819-the-changing-landscape-america-the-fate-detroit.
Wed. Nov. 18
Denver, rising star of the West. Download Handouts
1.
Buntin, Simmons. Next American City » Daily Report »
Denver: America’s Great Urban Canvas,
Part I. http://americancity.org/daily/entry/958/.
2. Buntin, Simmons. Next American City » Daily Report »
Denver: America’s Great Urban Canvas,
Part II (A Temporary Sidetrack to Decide How I
Decide). http://americancity.org/daily/entry/988/.
Fri. Nov. 20
Discussion
Week #14: NO CLASS – Fall Break & Thanksgiving
Week #15: Simulation
Mon. Nov. 30
TBA
Wed. Dec. 2
Simulation
Simulation Instructions
Fri. Dec. 4
De-briefing
Week #16: Wrap-Up
Mon. Dec. 7, Wed. Dec. 9
Review, Q & A
Fri. Dec. 11
In-Class Exam #2
V. Things you need to know / academic
policies
Your instructor will be happy, when possible, to
accommodate the students’ needs. Please note, however, that
requests for special accommodations need to be presented in
a timely manner: at least two weeks prior scheduled exams /
assignments. Please refer to the following sections of the
syllabus for further information about University policies.
Learning disabilities
If you qualify for accommodations because of
a disability, please submit to me a letter from Disability
Services in a timely manner so that your needs may be
addressed. Disability Services determines accommodations
based on documented disabilities. Contact: 303-492-8671,
Willard 322, and
www.Colorado.EDU/disabilityservices
Religious Observance
Campus policy regarding religious
observances requires that faculty make every effort to
reasonably and fairly deal with all students who, because
of religious obligations, have conflicts with scheduled
exams, assignments or required attendance. The above remark
on timely signaling of special accommodation needs applies
also to religious observance needs.
See full details at http://www.colorado.edu/policies/fac_relig.html
Class Behavior
Students and faculty each have
responsibility for maintaining an appropriate learning
environment. Students who fail to adhere to such behavioral
standards may be subject to discipline. Faculty members
have the professional responsibility to treat all students
with understanding, dignity and respect, to guide classroom
discussion and to set reasonable limits on the manner in
which they and theirstudents express opinions. Professional
courtesy and sensitivity are especially important with
respect to individuals and topics dealing with differences
of race, culture, religion, politics, sexual orientation,
gender variance, and nationalities. Class rosters are
provided to the instructor with the student's legal name. I
will gladly honor your request to address you by an
alternate name or gender pronoun. Please advise me of this
preference early in the semester so that I may make
appropriate changes to my records.
See policies at
http://www.colorado.edu/policies/classbehavior.html
and at
http://www.colorado.edu/studentaffairs/judicialaffairs/code.html#student_code
Academic Integrity
All students of the University of Colorado
at Boulder are responsible for knowing and adhering to the
academic integrity policy of this institution. Violations
of this policy may include: cheating, plagiarism, aid of
academic dishonesty, fabrication, lying, bribery, and
threatening behavior. All incidents of academic misconduct
shall be reported to the Honor Code Council
(honor@colorado.edu; 303-725-2273). Students who are found
to be in violation of the academic integrity policy will be
subject to both academic sanctions from the faculty member
and non-academic sanctions (including but not limited to
university probation, suspension, or expulsion). Other
information on the Honor Code can be found at
http://www.colorado.edu/policies/honor.html
and at
http://www.colorado.edu/academics/honorcode/
Discrimination & Harassment
The University of Colorado at Boulder policy
on Discrimination and Harassment
(http://www.colorado.edu/policies/discrimination.html, the
University of Colorado policy on Sexual Harassment and the
University of Colorado policy on Amorous Relationships
applies to all students, staff and faculty. Any student,
staff or faculty member who believes s/he has been the
subject of discrimination or harassment based upon race,
color, national origin, sex, age, disability, religion,
sexual orientation, or veteran status should contact the
Office of Discrimination and Harassment (ODH) at
303-492-2127 or the Office of Judicial Affairs at
303-492-5550. Information about the ODH and the campus
resources available to assist individuals regarding
discrimination or harassment can be obtained at http://www.colorado.edu/odh