“The New Deal era ushered in a relatively generous local welfare system that was strained by the sudden rise in unemployment. The economic downturn of the 1970s nearly broke the city. A fiscal crisis left the city’s finances in the hands of the Financial Control Board, appointed by the Governor and with almost half its seats going to corporate chiefs rather than elected officials. It instituted painful cuts in services.”
(Insert plug for Kim Phillip’s Fein’s “Fear City” book)
Also insert plug for generous and automatic transfers from federal to local govs for stabilization during downturns. But instead we just do more and more austerity each time.
Fascinating history - I did a report on boss Tweed for 7th grade civics 30 years ago! This is so fascinating learning more detail and the patronage dynamics. Thank you
By the way, a veteran reporter/columnist for “Corriere della Sera”, Aldo Cazzullo, recently published a book called “Mussolini il capobanda” (Mussolini the gang leader/crime boss). Unlike in the anglosphere, Italian commenters generally do not do a lot of hand-wringing about calling contemporary right-wing movements fascist, or framing them in the context of mafia-style lawlessness, failed state structures, and tribal patronage. Your arguments on these issues would find a lot of resonance there.
I’m skeptical that empowering such parties and leadership doesn’t fundamentally degrade liberal structures and governance. I wring my hands quite a bit!!! Italy hasn’t been the center of global power for a long long time and perhaps that plays into these attitudes.
The US (mostly liberal less mob controlled) still mostly upholds the mostly rules-based world order. Things might be a whole lot different if the balance of power was in the hands of mobster types like Putin and MbS.
“The New Deal era ushered in a relatively generous local welfare system that was strained by the sudden rise in unemployment. The economic downturn of the 1970s nearly broke the city. A fiscal crisis left the city’s finances in the hands of the Financial Control Board, appointed by the Governor and with almost half its seats going to corporate chiefs rather than elected officials. It instituted painful cuts in services.”
(Insert plug for Kim Phillip’s Fein’s “Fear City” book)
Yes that's a great book!
Also insert plug for generous and automatic transfers from federal to local govs for stabilization during downturns. But instead we just do more and more austerity each time.
Fascinating history - I did a report on boss Tweed for 7th grade civics 30 years ago! This is so fascinating learning more detail and the patronage dynamics. Thank you
The Brooklyn Navy Yard also shut down in the 1960s. A peace dividend similar to deindustrialization in LA in the 90s?
yes i think so
By the way, a veteran reporter/columnist for “Corriere della Sera”, Aldo Cazzullo, recently published a book called “Mussolini il capobanda” (Mussolini the gang leader/crime boss). Unlike in the anglosphere, Italian commenters generally do not do a lot of hand-wringing about calling contemporary right-wing movements fascist, or framing them in the context of mafia-style lawlessness, failed state structures, and tribal patronage. Your arguments on these issues would find a lot of resonance there.
I’m skeptical that empowering such parties and leadership doesn’t fundamentally degrade liberal structures and governance. I wring my hands quite a bit!!! Italy hasn’t been the center of global power for a long long time and perhaps that plays into these attitudes.
The US (mostly liberal less mob controlled) still mostly upholds the mostly rules-based world order. Things might be a whole lot different if the balance of power was in the hands of mobster types like Putin and MbS.