Urban Issues
Selections from CQ Researcher

Eighth Edition

The CQ Researcher

Courses:
Urban Politics | Urban Politics

September 2016 | 328 pages | CQ Press

What are the driving forces behind Smart Cities? What are the ramifications of increasing the minimum wage? What are the causes of aging infrastructure and how should they be addressed?

These are just some of the provocative questions that are considered in the new edition of Urban Issues. For current coverage of urban politics, readers will appreciate the balanced and unbiased reporting of CQ Researcher. Urban Issues provides a window into how policy is created and implemented in America’s cities and is sure to spark classroom discussions. Each chapter examines the key players, stakes, background, and lessons for the future, while covering the range of facts, analyses, and opinions surrounding each issue.

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ISBN: 9781506343617	Paperback	Suggested Retail Price: $75.00	Bookstore Price: $60.00
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ANNOTATED CONTENTS

PREFACE

CONTRIBUTORS

EDUCATION

1. Dropout Rate

Is societal change needed for graduation rates to rise?

Are successful local dropout programs viable nationwide?

Are the federal government’s efforts to raise graduation rates working?

Background

Early Origins

“Waste We Cannot Afford”

Seeking Solutions

Research and Action

Current Situation

Washington Gridlock

Fewer “Dropout Factories”

Concern Over Standards

Outlook: Striving for 90 Percent

Notes

Bibliography

2. Race and Education

Was court-ordered school desegregation effective?

Have charter schools and school choice laws increased racial separation?

Has teacher tenure contributed to racial disparities in education?

Background

Legal Segregation

Brown v. Board of Education

Desegregation

Integration Declines

Current Situation

Education Challenges

Enforcing Civil Rights

State Action

Outlook: Changes Coming?

Notes

Bibliography

LAND USE AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT

3. Coastal Development

Should state and local governments block coastal development?

Can the federal flood insurance program be fixed?

Does New York City need floodgates?

Background

Wealth and Trade Centers

Rush to the Shore

Coasts Under Pressure

In Harm’s Way

Current Situation

Clashing Signals

Flood Insurance Fraud?

Rising Seas

Outlook: Resilient Coastlines

Notes

Bibliography

4. Air Pollution and Climate Change

Is President Obama’s Clean Power Plan good policy?

Is the EPA’s new ozone standard good policy?

Can renewable energy become a major contributor to the power industry?

Background

Early Air Pollution

Carbon Dioxide Measured

Clean Air Act

Acid Rain

Regulating Emissions

Current Situation

Global Negotiations

Court Fight

Outlook: Obama Agenda

Notes

Bibliography

LAW ENFORCEMENT

5. Police Tactics

Do SWAT teams and military tactics and weaponry have a place in policing?

Has police use of military-style tactics increased tensions with minority communities?

Do body cameras prevent police misconduct?

Background

Troops in the Streets

War on Drugs

Drawing Fire

New Tensions

Current Situation

Stemming the Flow

Troubled Cities

Outlook: Re-engineering Police Culture

Notes

Bibliography

6. Racial Profiling

Are racial- and ethnic-profiling prevalent in U.S. law enforcement today?

Do aggressive stop-and-frisk tactics help reduce crime?

Should courts take a leading role in combating police racial and ethnic profiling?

Background

“A Difficult History”

An ‘Indefensible’ Practice

‘Deliberate Indifference’?

Current Situation

Pressure for Change

Mixed Results for Prosecutors

Outlook: Regaining Trust?

Notes

Bibliography

7. Fighting Gangs

Is the gang threat growing?

Is banning street gangs from congregating an effective anti-gang strategy?

Can former gang members help quell street violence?

Background

Immigrant Gangs

Postwar Gangs

Birth of Modern Gangs

Current Situation

Gangs on the Internet

Policy Progress

Outlook: Growing Sophistication

Notes

Bibliography

RACE, CLASS, AND ETHNICITY

8. Racial Conflict

Would improving police interactions with African-Americans significantly advance race relations in America?

Would new laws and government programs reduce institutional racism?

Does government need to recommit to school desegregation?

Background

Slavery and Jim Crow

‘White Affirmative Action’

Civil Rights

Economic Shifts

Current Situation

Police on Trial

Campus Revolts

Outlook: Hope and Fear

Notes

Bibliography

9. Housing the Homeless

Does unemployment cause most homelessness?

Is Housing First the best way to keep people from reverting to homelessness?

Should homeless families receive bigger or longer-lasting housing subsidies?

Background

“I Ain’t Got No Home”

Emptying Asylums

The “New Homeless”

New Strategies

Current Situation

Arresting the Problem

Alternate Approach

Outlook: “A Human Right”

Notes

Bibliography

10. Wealth and Inequality

Does income inequality hamper economic growth?

Are parental background and inheritance becoming more important for success?

Should the wealthy be taxed more?

Background

‘Fatal Ailment’

Postwar Prosperity

The Great Switch

Current Situation

Proposed Fixes

Executive Pay

Outlook: ‘Oligarchic Evolution’

Notes

Bibliography

11. Housing Discrimination

Are current government policies contributing to residential segregation?

Are current real estate and lending practices contributing to residential segregation?

Can local officials do more to reduce racial segregation in housing?

Background

Separate Worlds

Slow Changes

Unsettled Times

Current Situation

Stepping Up Efforts

Squaring Off in Court

Outlook: Political Challenges

Notes

Bibliography

12. Fighting Urban Poverty

Would more federal aid reduce poverty in urban areas?

Do federal housing programs alleviate urban poverty?

Should the business community play a larger role in solving urban poverty?

Background

Expanding Slums

Depression Era

“War on Poverty”

Recession Takes Root

Current Situation

Promise Zones

Workplace Issues

Presidential Candidates

Outlook: Economy Is Key

Notes

Bibliography

Key features

KEY FEATURES:

Pro/con boxes examine two competing sides of a single question giving students a full picture
A detailed chronology provides historical context
An annotated bibliography and web resources give students an option for further review
Pedagogical features such as photos, charts, graphs, and maps enhance understanding of the issues