At some point in a long civic career, you may face a skillful liar who is elected to an important local office. Here’s how to fight back in a way that doesn’t leave the city deeply divided.
How to Read a Flawed Book About Cities
A professor left an Ivy League university to work in city government. What he learned in city hall was important, but what he missed was even more important.
Lesson Four: The Art of the Compromise
Compromises are ways of opening the door to change by reducing the objections of interest groups. They are at the heart of decision making in city halls and are the closest thing in politics to an art form. Here’s what reporters should know about how compromises come about . . . and why.
Lesson Three: Seeing the Unseen City Council
Perhaps the most underanalyzed but important part of local government is the city council. The key is knowing how much councils are shaped by their form of government and election processes. Here’s a look at how council members work with mayors, city managers, and one another, and how these habits are influenced by structure and representation. Don’t worry: There are some good story ideas here, too.
Lesson Two: The Switching Yard of Change
City hall isn’t so much a public policy factory as a switching yard, where ideas come in from the outside and are acted on. So where do big public policy ideas originate in your city? And what happens to them as they move along the tracks? This could be a rich source for your reporting, and an eye-opening series of stories for your readers.