Abstract
One of the most long-standing and controversial issues surrounding local government structure in the United States is how “reformed” political institutions have impacted minority neighborhoods. A common belief is that reformism has harmed these neighborhoods, but there is no empirical evidence on this issue. Drawing upon capital asset pricing theory, this paper empirically investigates the effects of two reforms, the council-manager form of government and at-large councilor elections, on the quality of nonwhite neighborhoods. Quality is found to be higher in majority white places with at-large as opposed to district-based elections. Quality is not found to be affected by the form of government.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Adrian, C. R., & Press, C. (1977). Governing urban America. New York: McGraw-Hill.
Banfield, E. C., & Wilson, J. Q. (1963). City politics. Cambridge: Harvard University Press.
Eisinger, P. K. (1973). The conditions of protest behavior in American cities. American Political Science Review, 67(1), 11–28.
Frederickson, H. G., & Johnson, G. A. (2001). The adapted American city: a study of institutional dynamics. Urban Affairs Review, 36(6), 872–884.
Guinier, L. (1991). The triumph of tokenism: the Voting Rights Act and the theory of black electoral success. Michigan Law Review, 89(5), 1077–1154.
Ihlanfeldt, K., & Boehm, T. P. (1987). Government intervention in the housing market: an empirical test of the externalities rationale. Journal of Urban Economics, 22(3), 276–290.
Levine, C. H., Rubin, I. S., & Wolohojian, G. G. (1981). Resource scarcity and the reform model: the management of retrenchment in Cincinnati and Oakland. Public Administration Review, 41(6), 619–628.
McManus, S. A., & Bullock, C. S. III (2003). The form, structure, and composition of America’s municipalities in the new millennium. In Municipal year book (pp. 3–18). Washington: International City Management Association.
Maser, S. M. (1985). Demographic factors affecting constitutional decisions: the case of municipal charters. Public Choice, 47(1), 121–162.
Muth, R. (1969). Cities and housing. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
Saltzstein, A. L. (2003). Governing America’s urban areas, Belmont: Thomson/Wadsworth.
Sass, T. R., & Mehay, S. L. (2003). Minority representation, election method, and policy influence. Economics and Politics, 15(3), 323–339.
Schuman, H., Steech, C., Bobo, L., & Krysan, M. (1997). Racial attitudes in America: trends and interpretations. Cambridge: Harvard University Press.
Southwick, L. Jr. (1997). Local government spending and at-large versus district representation: do wards result in more “pork”? Economics and Politics, 9(2), 173–203.
Stein, L. (1986). Representative local government: minorities in the municipal work force. Journal of Politics, 48(3), 694–713.
Stone, D. K., Price, D., & Stone, K. (1982). City manager government. In Murin, W. J. (Ed.) Classics of urban politics and administration, pp. 88–110. Oak Park: Moore.
Thernstrom, A. M. (1987). Whose votes count? Affirmative action and minority voting rights. Cambridge: Harvard University Press.
Trebbi, F., Aghion, P., & Alesina, A. (2008). Electoral rules and minority representation in U.S. cities. Quarterly Journal of Economics, 123(1), 325–357.
Wooldridge, J. M. (2000). Introductory econometrics: a modern approach. Cincinnati: South-Western College.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Ihlanfeldt, K.R. Local government structure and the quality of minority neighborhoods. Public Choice 147, 69–91 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11127-010-9604-y
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11127-010-9604-y