An introduction to political economy and policymaking in large U.S. cities and metropolitan areas. The course examines the institutional, economic, political, and demographic settings that distinguish urban policymaking. We begin by analyzing the institutions of local government and their role in the federal system, the sources of urban growth, competition among cities, and the importance of real estate markets in shaping local politics. We next study several specific urban issues including concentrated poverty, racial conflict, housing, governmental fragmentation, and sprawl. Although the course will focus on large central cities, we will pay attention to the suburbanization of population and employment, politics in suburbia, and city-suburb relations. Finally, students will be introduced to the latest research on social interactions in cities, with a focus on social capital, neighborhood and peer effects, and human capital spillovers.
