March 29, 2016 City Politics I
Elite Theory Elite theory (or elitism) is the view that political power is held by a small group of people who dominate politics by controlling economic resources. George R. Brown
8-F Crowd In Houston, the elites were a small group of business leaders called the 8-F Crowd because of their practice of meeting informally in Suite 8-F of the Lamar Hotel. The members of the 8-F Crowd were all wealthy businessmen with interests in real estate, construction, oil and gas, banking, law, and insurance. Jesse H. Jones, Herman and George Brown, Gus Wortham, James Abercrombie, and James A. Elkins Sr.
They were boosters (people who promote local economic development) who believed that whatever was good for business was also good for their city. Low taxes Aggressive annexation Few restrictions on land use White supremacy Boosters
Good Ol’ Boy Government Most of the candidates supported by business groups were white businessmen. Mayor Louie Welch
Louie’s Legacy Louie Welch was mayor from He tried a come back in 1985, but was soundly beaten by Mayor Kathy Whitmire.
Growth Policies Upside Rapid population growth Low cost of living Job growth Low housing costs Business growth Downside Urban sprawl Pollution Traffic congestion Quality of life in neighborhoods compromised Tense race relations
New groups emerge African American rights groups Neighborhood associations Women’s groups Environmental groups Gay/lesbian groups
Business Changes Pro-growth Real estate developers, construction contractors, and other firms that depend on development favored continuing growth-oriented public policies. Quality of Life The tourist industry and high-technology firms that employed middle- class professionals were more concerned with the quality of urban life. This was especially true for the Texas Medical Center.
Fred Hofheinz, End of the poll tax and the adoption of the Voting Rights Act enlarged Houston’s electorate. Fred Hofheinz was the first person to be elected mayor with minority support.
Jim McConn, Black votes combined with downtown money was key to winning election as mayor.
Kathy Whitmire, The adoption of single-member districts in 1975 led to the election of women, African American, Latino, Asian, and gay council members.
Pluralism Contemporary urban politics in Texas can best be described as pluralist. Pluralist theory (or pluralism) is the view that diverse groups of elites with differing interests compete with one another to control policy in various issue areas.
De-racialization De-racialization is the attempt of political candidates to deemphasize racially divisive themes in order to garner crossover support from voters of other races/ethnicities while also receiving the overwhelming majority of support from voters of the candidate’s own racial/ethnic group. De-racialization is a necessary strategy for political success in a diverse city without a racial/ethnic majority.
Big City Diversity Does any group in Houston have a majority? No
Houston Electorate White Republicans—30 % African American— 28 % White Democrats— 27 % Hispanics—10 % Asians—5 % Population: Latino—44 % White—26 % Black—24 % Asian—6 %
De-racialization strategy Candidates promote images of themselves that other racial/ethnic groups will perceive as non-threatening and avoid issues that divide voters along racial/ethnic lines, such as bilingual education, affirmative action, and immigration
Build base support Meanwhile, candidates work aggressively to mobilize their own base of support.
Toggling is a strategy that seeks to build or maintain a victorious electoral coalition in a politically polarized, multicultural environment through the balanced communication of broad- and narrow-cast messages, symbols, issue positions, personal characteristics, and socio- cultural cues to specific racial and ethnic groups. Toggling
To general audience “I will support the police department to crack down on crime.”
To minority community “It is important that the police force more closely mirror the racial/ethnic makeup of the city’s population.”
Quiz “I spend all day driving or sitting in traffic.” The above statement illustrates which of the following? A)Pluralism B)Urban sprawl C)Elite theory D)De-racialization The answer is B.
What You Have Learned What is elite theory? How did city politics before the 1970s reflect the elite theory of urban politics? What was the 8-F Crowd and what were their goals? What groups emerged to challenge the business elites? What factors contributed to the business elites losing political influence? What is pluralism? What is de-racialization? What is toggling?