An excellent example of Decisional Method Research

books:


	• Who Governs?: Democracy and Power in an American City, Second Edition (Yale Studies in Political Science) Robert A. Dahl Yale University Press, 2005 - 384 pages average customer review:based on 3 reviews view larger image
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First-rate analysis

First-rate analysis of the dynamics of power in the shaping of an American city. The analysis benefits from the specificity of having choosen a single city: New Haven, CT. But the results of the analysis would be enlightening to the process of understanding the function of power in any community. The scholarship is of the highest quality; the discussion is insightful and thought-provoking. A great resource for those aspiring to shape/influence direction of community growth.

"who governs" - powerful insight to city politics

another well done piece by dahl. he brings you into the everyday runnings of an american city and lets people see how politics can run and ruin everything.

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An excellent example of Decisional Method Research

This book continues to be the best example of an application of "Decisional Method" research on Community Power which tends to yield an answer of Pluralism in the way New Haven Connecticut was governed.

Now, how much Dahl's results matter to you is another case--many believe his results are faulty due to the use of the Decisional method. The method itself is considered to be of limited use. The polar opposite of this book is Floyd Hunter's (1953) "Community Power Structure." Hunter used a "Positional" method and determined that the elite govern in Atlanta.

Dahl's book is good for what it is, but it is not what experts on local political power believe now. To get a well-rounded education on local political power, read Hunter. To get up-to-date, read Stone (1989) Regime Politics (used Decisional and positional approaches together), and read Logan and Molotch (1987) Urban Fortunes. [Revised edition] 2007.

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