Careers in City Politics: The Case for Urban Democracy. - book reviews

Administrative Science Quarterly,  Dec, 1996  by Michael B. Arthur

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Reflecting on the book, one is left to endorse enthusiastically the sleeve note copy of another commentator. This is "the work of a craftsman" who handles multivariate analysis "smoothly" to produce a "well-packaged" book. One is also left persuaded that the work will be well received by the community of political scientists with whom the author directly interacts. The book has a certain partisanship in perspective, however, particularly on the issues of office holders' family incomes and term limits. The author sees family incomes as a barrier to elective representation rather than as any indication at all of political ability. The author's disdain for term limits takes just one side of the public debate that broke open shortly after the book's publication.

The character of political careers espoused in this book raises a greater question. At both city and higher-office levels, the best careers are presumed to be "linear," practiced by and only available to specialized politicians. This characterization is at odds with the benefits of the more "boundaryless" career forms we are coming to associate with the modern era. Mobility and innovation through greater permeability of public and private sectors are discouraged in this book. Less government, or alternative ways to address mayoral or civil service intransigence, is a neglected theme. One is left admiring the intentions behind the book but concerned about the limited framework in which those intentions are exercised. Careers in City Politics is nevertheless a worthwhile contribution to an important but much delayed interdisciplinary debate.

Michael B. Arthur Sawyer School of Management Suffolk University Boston, MA 02108

COPYRIGHT 1996 Cornell University, Johnson Graduate School
COPYRIGHT 2004 Gale Group