Editing Managing Urban America (section)

===Scrutiny on Urban Policymaking===

The literature suggests America is in the midst of a new age of skepticism regarding government. Some argue that an effective policy can be produced only through a small elite group while others worry about popular participation, but most agree that policymaking is vital to a community's well-being.

Morgan and England fear politicians tend to see themselves not as people required to respond to group demands but as people who once elected, may pursue their own agendas. Business interests are likely to fall into this category, the authors contend.

The discretion of administrative officials can be enormous, and the authors see government as gravitating towards policies with more immediate payoffs while avoiding those that require long-term planning.

According to Robert Salisbury, "A mayor is the head of locally oriented economic interests. City managers, like mayors and council-members, are overwhelmingly white males. The typical manager has been at his job for over 5 years and has served as an executive for over 10 years. In cities over 50,000 population, the city manager is likely to earn over $110,000."