Civic culture and urban change : governing Dallas /

City governments have constantly been challenged by simultaneous changes in their economy, demography, and cultures. Hanson (policy sciences, Univ. of Maryland) provides a longitudinal view of Dallas from its founding to the present, explaining how its governing regime has evolved in response to change. He portrays the city as dominated by a durable business regime that aggressively develops its economy but governs with a minimum of citizen participation. The result is a "paralytic public sector" that fails to develop the civic capital needed to provide healthy political competition. Its city manager system functions well to deliver routine services but cannot exert the political leadership that can respond to the more challenging issues. He urges Dallas to adopt a structure with a stronger mayor and council, better able to engage in strategic planning and effective public service production. This exhaustive study draws from case studies on policing, education, and economic development, and includes institutional analysis and a survey of the tools used to solve public problems. Its depth and conceptual sophistication make it highly useful as supplementary reading in advanced urban politics courses. ^BSumming Up: Essential. Upper-division undergraduates and above. W. C. Johnson Bethel College (MN)