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The Daley Show: Inside the Transformative Reign of Chicago's Richard M. Daley

The Daley Show: Inside the Transformative Reign of Chicago's Richard M. Daley

Hardcover

Political BiographiesRegional: MidwestUnited States Politics

Currently unavailable to order

ISBN10: 0252046196
ISBN13: 9780252046193
Publisher: 3 Fields Books
Published: Sep 10 2024
Pages: 352
Weight: 1.55
Height: 1.50 Width: 6.40 Depth: 9.30
Language: English

American cities once had mayors who actually governed.

For twenty-two years, Richard M. Daley ran Chicago with the type of authority that is unthinkable today. He reshaped downtown, triggered a jobs boom, delivered the iconic Millennium Park, turned around troubled public schools, and slashed violent crime to 40-year lows. He outfoxed Republican legislators to retain control of O'Hare Airport and expand it into the nation's premier international aviation hub. Leveraging carefully built national political ties, he sidelined a powerful nemesis to tear down Chicago's infamous public housing projects.

Rebuilding parts of his father's legendary political machine through brazen (and illegal) patronage deals, he centralized power to a remarkable degree, cut deals behind closed doors, racked up piles of debt, and made long-term bets whose consequences are still unfolding.

This is not simply a biography. It is a challenge to contemporary urban orthodoxy:

Do cities thrive because of strong, decisive leaders--or despite them?

Through vivid storytelling, this book exposes how Daley consolidated power, aligned business and labor, navigated crises, survived damaging scandals, and imposed discipline on a sprawling city. It dares readers to reconsider what kind of leadership modern American cities truly need.

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