StudentShare
Contact Us
Sign In / Sign Up for FREE
Search
Go to advanced search...
Free

The Political Powers in Atlanta - Essay Example

Summary
This paper "The Political Powers in Atlanta" discusses many views concerning Atlanta's strongest political power. Many believe that it is the American government; others say it is labour unions, while others believe it is the elites in Atlanta. The political powers in Atlanta are indeed mighty…
Download full paper File format: .doc, available for editing
GRAB THE BEST PAPER98.6% of users find it useful
The Political Powers in Atlanta
Read Text Preview

Extract of sample "The Political Powers in Atlanta"

Who has Political Power in Atlanta? There are many views concerning who is the strongest political power in Atlanta. Many believe that it is the American government; other says it is labor unions, while others believe it is the elites in Atlanta. The political powers in Atlanta are indeed very powerful (Domhoff, 2005). The question remains on who controls this city? Is it labor unions, state government or the corporate community, which finances supplies of appointees and elected officials or the public of America through elections, political parties, lobbying, interest groups, and public opinion force? Many say that the state government is the most powerful; analysts observe that social classes and private groups are fast dominating the state. The control of Atlanta city by private interest groups could not be easily deployed because it consists of many groups. However, theorists of state autonomy assert that the states government is the most powerful and not dominant social classes or general citizenry. This is because, it is a monopoly in the city to legitimately use force, it is the only one that defends the city from foreign rivals, and finally it has powers to regulate and tax (Domhoff, 2005). Theorists of state autonomy further say that independent experts can be more powerful than the government because they posses valuable information to state officials. Other researchers believe that labor unions are the most powerful in Atlanta city. This is because they are able to control the economy of this city through labor unions. For example, they are able to hold the supply of workers in industries and such a shortage leads to increase in wages. An increase in wages means high costs of production, which later affects the city’s economy. High production costs mean that the companies and industries in Atlanta will not be in a better position to compete with other companies in the global market. Looking at the elites’ class, it is globally believed that today, modern societies are ruled by elites in their specific societies (Domhoff, 1990). The elites form large organizations of bureaucracy which are either corporate or non profit making. In Atlanta, most political elites who are elected as officials financially depend on families that are wealthy, and corporate leaders. There is a pronounced tendency for the middle and low income earners to adore the elites in their societies. Theses elites greatly influence the actions and thinking of members of their societies. They are ever followed and their advice taken seriously. However, Domhoff, (1990) states that this theory is overruled by the state government and labor unions because these elites are mainly influential only in their societies. On the other hand, labor unions work with corporate organizations. Even if elites are in a position to control the economy of Atlanta, they can only do it up to very minimal levels, unlike labor unions. They also financially depend on wealthy families and corporate, whom they many times conflict with and hence lowering their financial base. State Government The states government has an independent role in Atlanta of developing and formulating public policies, because they are part of the corporation as well as the foundation of policy of financing and planning network. The state government experts provide new ideas and policies. However, they are sponsored by policy network organizations and these ideas are approved or disapproved by corporate leaders, prior to appearing in proposals and reports. The states government works for expansion and stability of Atlanta. It promotes capitalism which boosts the economy of Atlanta besides ensuring that its residents are wealthy. Furthermore, the state controls the military powers of Atlanta which is very central for political stability. Political stability is a very crucial factor for ensuring the strength of power and economic development of any world city. Since the states government controls the factors contributing to political stability, it therefore becomes an important player of a power in Atlanta. This means that the economic and political stability as well as policy making and implementation are great dependants of the state government as far as military control is concerned. In some circumstances, the government can be dominated or captured because it is not potentially autonomous. The states government is fragmented and open to agents from outside, hence vulnerable to being dominated through corporate community appointments and electoral process as well as policy planning network. The corporate leadership groups’ movement of its members within the government and private sector burs the line that differentiates the state from the corporate community. The state is not the strongest in power in Atlanta because its size does not dictate the corporate community in Atlanta. Secondly, government growth from 1960s to 1990s was also evident at the local levels, and this does not conform to the powerful image of state government in Atlanta. Finally, a detailed study by Luger (2000) about the state government budgets reveals that it actually declined by 8.8 % of gross domestic product in 2000. Labor Unions Labor unions are recognized legally as industries’ representatives of workers. Labor unions in Atlanta center their activities through collective bargaining over working conditions, benefits and wages. In Atlanta, labor unions are an important factor in politics through membership mobilization and coalitions with organizations of activists who have similar minds on issues like health care, living wage campaigns, and trade policy and immigrants rights. The active role of labor unions in global trade plays a major role in the politics of Atlanta. In Atlanta, they played a major role in 2008-2009 economic crises due to their very costly labor agreements like health plans and pension. This put the industries and companies in Atlanta at a disadvantaged position in competing with foreign companies, and consequently, many of them collapsed. The political power of unions comes to play that the local government cannot move elsewhere nor receive any threat of foreign competition. The fact that labor unions are able to form a kind of a monopoly that influences the economy of Atlanta makes it very powerful politically. This is backed by the collective one voice among its members. They form some forms of cartels that can influence the supply of labor in the labor market and hence controlling the wages. Such cartels are very powerful since they dictate the position of the city in global market competition. Once they cannot compete globally as a result of the high cost of production, they are forced to close down thus negatively affecting the economy of Atlanta. In response to this, they increase the costs of their products and this cost is incurred by the final consumer. Therefore, they are politically powerful through collective bargaining, one voice and monopoly status. More over, labor unions are the most trusted entities in Atlanta. The public strongly believes them that they easily influence the politics of Atlanta in terms of policy formulation and implementation. Conclusion In conclusion, the labor unions are the most political powerful in Atlanta. This is because, they are legal entities that the public highly trust besides their power to influence political policies in Atlanta. Furthermore, they easily control the economy of Atlanta and determine the competitive position of industries in Atlanta. On the other hand, they are within Atlanta, unlike the state government, which governs all American states. The state government is not the strongest in power in Atlanta because its size does not dictate what the corporate community in Atlanta does. Secondly, government growth from 1960s to 1990s was also evident at the local levels, and this does not conform to the powerful image of state government in Atlanta. References Domhoff, G. W. (1990). The Power Elite and the State: How Policy Is Made in America. Hawthorne, NY: Aldine de Gruyter. Domhoff, G. W. (2005). Who Rules America? (Fifth ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill. Luger, S. (2000). Corporate Power, American Democracy. New York: Cambridge University Press. Read More

CHECK THESE SAMPLES OF The Political Powers in Atlanta

The Impact That Olympic Games Could Have on City Council

Because of this fact, the Games are often used to cause political crises commonly through violent events: for example, the explosion of a bomb in atlanta in July 1996 during a concert in the Centennial Olympic Park' (BBC News 1996).... However, Olympic Games have been also related to certain drawbacks – for instance, the Vancouver Winter Olympic Games which were characterized by the damages caused by riots, and the atlanta Olympic Games during which the explosion of a bomb caused the death of 2 people and the injury of hundreds, as analyzed below....
13 Pages (3250 words) Assignment

Critical Review of the Olympic Cities

The survey is conducted only on US cities due to the political economy of the federal system (Andranovich, Burbank, & Heying, 2001).... The survey was conducted on three cities which have experienced bidding as well as staging the Olympic game in areas such as atlanta, Los Angeles and Salt Lake City.... The journal Olympic cities: Lessons learned from mega events, which aim to address the challenges and opportunities in hosting the Olympic Games and focusing on cities of Salt Lake City, atlanta and Los Angeles....
4 Pages (1000 words) Essay

Location or existence of Atlantis

Student's Name & ID No.... Professor's Name: Location and Existence of Atlantis (Archaeology and the Human Past) 12 November 2013 Introduction (Section 1) Throughout human history many facts, legends, and myths existed and are mingled in the mists of time.... Some of these stories are historical facts while others are shrouded in the mystery of controversy due to being of unproven provenance....
6 Pages (1500 words) Research Paper

Art History - Atlantis in Dubai, UAE

This essay "Art History - Atlantis in Dubai, UAE" discusses Hotel Atlantis as a magnificent piece of art, architecture, and engineering that encompasses culture, design, history, and class.... It is designed to reflect the lost city of Atlantis, and it is full of art including underground pathways....
10 Pages (2500 words) Research Paper

American Independence in the Atlantic World

What is explicit through the tuning of the literature is the finding of a great answer to the question if mighty America was rising above the powers of evil forces of tyranny on the water or the then politically insignificant affair of the United State's struggle for excellence in activating the entity of free trade among the dominant naval giants Like France, Britain and Spain... The book hails concerns of applaud from all its readers because of the simplicity of literature and accuracy of fictional presentation of witnessed events with contemporary views about the present political and defense manifestations across the member nations....
6 Pages (1500 words) Essay

Olympic Cities - Lessons Learned from Mega Event Politics by Greg Andranovich et al

The survey is conducted only on US cities due to the political economy of the federal system.... The survey was conducted on three cities that have experienced bidding as well as staging the Olympic game in areas such as atlanta, Los Angeles, and Salt Lake City.... The journal Olympic cities: Lessons learned from mega-events, which aim to address the challenges and opportunities in hosting the Olympic Games and focusing on cities of Salt Lake City, atlanta, and Los Angeles....
8 Pages (2000 words) Article

Trade Routes Lead to the Growth of Western Economic and Political Power After 1750

The essay 'Trade Routes Lead to the Growth of Western Economic and political Power After 1750' is devoted to the impact of events that took place in 1750 on the growth of political power and western economics.... Nonetheless, by 1500 the Western world had managed to revive itself and achieved economic and political progress at a relatively equal pace with other countries in the world.... However, change came after 1750, when the Western world started to distance itself from the rest of the world in terms of economic and political growth....
6 Pages (1500 words) Essay

Implementation of the Atlantic Slave Trade

To be precise, the implementation of the Atlantic Slave Trade was incentivized by three main factors: the largely unutilized large tracts of land seized from the Native Americans [Expansion into the Americas]; the wealth creation competition among the European powers [the pursuit of profit, Africans authorities inclusive]; and the very cheap labor available in the form of enslaved Africans.... With an ongoing slave trade, where criminals, political detainees, prisoners of war, victims of kidnapping and/or relatives sold to redeem debts had long been bartered between authorities in Africa and Islamic Arab merchants since the year 900, Europe turned to Africa to drive forward their agenda in the new Americas colonies; cheap labor was at hand with easily found social outcast Africans (Schneider and Schneider 1)....
7 Pages (1750 words) Assignment
sponsored ads
We use cookies to create the best experience for you. Keep on browsing if you are OK with that, or find out how to manage cookies.
Contact Us