Title: Democracy in the mirror : politics, reform, and reality in grassroots America /
Authors: Ehrenhalt, Alan, 1947-
Publisher: Congressional Quarterly,
Year: 1998
Subjects: Local government United States; State governments United States
Contents: 1. The government we deserve -- Will term limits do anything about microwave government? -- Redistricting and the erosion of community -- If term limits are the answer, what's the question? -- Let the people decide between spinach and broccoli -- The court that forgot about politics -- American politics : the last refuge of poor quality -- 2. Leaders and followers -- The virtue of modest accomplishments -- The remarkable resilience of "politics as usual" -- The debilitating search for a flabby consensus -- The need for a few good hacks -- 3. Who speaks for the city? -- The modern urban dilemma : who speaks for the city? -- I'll match your nine lobbyists and raise you twelve -- The underclass and the suburban solution -- The bitter costs of municipal sibling rivalry -- The unraveling of a local government -- Are developers still invincible in local politics? -- The consequences of public compassion.