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First published on July 3, 2008, doi:10.1177/1078087408320650

Urban Affairs Review 2008;44:155.

A more recent version of this article appeared on November 1, 2008

Article

Visions of Urban Reform: Comparing English and U.S. Strategies for Improving City Government

Alan L. Saltzstein1, Colin Copus2, Raphael J. Sonenshein1*, and Chris Skelcher2

1 California State University, Fullerton
2 University of Birmingham, England

* To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: rsonenshein{at}fullerton.edu.


  Abstract
This article compares the logics and institutional consequences of urban government reform in the United States and in England. We focus on the politics of ideas, identifying four common visions of urban reform: efficient public interest management, improved representation, local political leadership, and metropolitan-wide governance. National pressure groups, locality effects, and the status of city charters and council constitutions are key factors mediating the direction and pace of reform. These are embedded in different institutional norms for city government, related to national political and governmental cultures. The strengths and weaknesses of both systems are discussed.


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