Big City Mayors: Still Avatars of Local Politics?

Abstract

With globalization and the decline of nation states, cities have become more important economically and politically around the world. As this trend has established itself, city leaders – and particularly their elected mayors – have assumed greater importance as political actors. In important respects they are avatars of local politics. This significance is visible in the local context, but more city mayors are operating at the local, national and international levels. The paper looks at the local political motivations for this trend, focusing on two factors: local constituency influences, and attempts to strengthen important local policy directions. Given the wider scope of elected mayors in a more globalized world, what are the implications for our understanding of local politics?