Municipal Accountability in the American Age of Reform: The Gadfly at the Counter, 1870–1920

Description

At the foundations of our modern conception of open government are a handful of disgruntled citizens in the Progressive Era who demanded accountability from their local officials, were rebuffed, and then brought their cases to court. Drawing on newspaper accounts, angry letters to editors, local histories, and court records, David Ress uncovers a number of miniature yet critical moments in the history of government accountability, tracing its decline as the gap between citizens and officials widened with the idea of the community as corporation and citizens as consumers. Together, these moments tell the story of how a nation thought about democracy and the place of the individual in an increasingly complex society, with important lessons for policy makers, journalists, and activists today. Front Matter ....Pages i-ix The Micropolitics of Accountability (David Ress)....Pages 1-13 The Streets Commissioner’s Records (David Ress)....Pages 15-24 The Right to Know Emerges (David Ress)....Pages 25-40 Community as Corporation (David Ress)....Pages 41-59 The Home Rule Idea (David Ress)....Pages 61-78 The Limits of the Vote (David Ress)....Pages 79-93 The Expert Fights Back (David Ress)....Pages 95-114 Conclusion (David Ress)....Pages 115-122 Back Matter ....Pages 123-128