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The Calculus of Coalitions

Cities, Suburbs, and the Metropolitan Agenda

University of California, Berkeley

Harold Wolman

George Washington University

Todd Swanstrom

Saint Louis University

Reductions in federal urban assistance and devolution have made cities increasingly reliant on their state governments at a time when cities have lost political strength in state legislatures. This article identifies three types of coalitions that historically supported cities: party-imposed coalitions, interest-based coalitions, and governor-brokered coalitions. It shows how institutional, demographic, and economic changes have made these legislative coalitions less reliable. The article then considers prospects for constructing new city-suburban legislative coalitions. It argues that institutional constraints have limited the scope of preferences expressed by city and suburban legislators. The article concludes that prospects for city-suburban coalitions will depend on new issue definitions, institutional rules, and organizations that help city and suburban legislators redefine their policy preferences.

Key Words: coalitions • states • regionalism • suburbs • cities

Urban Affairs Review, Vol. 40, No. 6, 730-760 (2005)
DOI: 10.1177/1078087405276200


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