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Urban Issues
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Urban Issues
Selections from CQ Researcher

Eighth Edition
September 2016 | 328 pages | CQ Press
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What are the driving forces behind Smart Cities? What are the ramifications of increasing the minimum wage? What are the causes of aging infrastructure and how should they be addressed?

These are just some of the provocative questions that are considered in the new edition of Urban Issues. For current coverage of urban politics, readers will appreciate the balanced and unbiased reporting of CQ Researcher. Urban Issues provides a window into how policy is created and implemented in America’s cities and is sure to spark classroom discussions. Each chapter examines the key players, stakes, background, and lessons for the future, while covering the range of facts, analyses, and opinions surrounding each issue.
 
ANNOTATED CONTENTS
 
PREFACE
 
CONTRIBUTORS
 
EDUCATION
 
1. Dropout Rate
Is societal change needed for graduation rates to rise?

 
Are successful local dropout programs viable nationwide?

 
Are the federal government’s efforts to raise graduation rates working?

 
Background

 
Early Origins

 
“Waste We Cannot Afford”

 
Seeking Solutions

 
Research and Action

 
Current Situation

 
Washington Gridlock

 
Fewer “Dropout Factories”

 
Concern Over Standards

 
Outlook: Striving for 90 Percent

 
Notes

 
Bibliography

 
 
2. Race and Education
Was court-ordered school desegregation effective?

 
Have charter schools and school choice laws increased racial separation?

 
Has teacher tenure contributed to racial disparities in education?

 
Background

 
Legal Segregation

 
Brown v. Board of Education

 
Desegregation

 
Integration Declines

 
Current Situation

 
Education Challenges

 
Enforcing Civil Rights

 
State Action

 
Outlook: Changes Coming?

 
Notes

 
Bibliography

 
 
LAND USE AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT
 
3. Coastal Development
Should state and local governments block coastal development?

 
Can the federal flood insurance program be fixed?

 
Does New York City need floodgates?

 
Background

 
Wealth and Trade Centers

 
Rush to the Shore

 
Coasts Under Pressure

 
In Harm’s Way

 
Current Situation

 
Clashing Signals

 
Flood Insurance Fraud?

 
Rising Seas

 
Outlook: Resilient Coastlines

 
Notes

 
Bibliography

 
 
4. Air Pollution and Climate Change
Is President Obama’s Clean Power Plan good policy?

 
Is the EPA’s new ozone standard good policy?

 
Can renewable energy become a major contributor to the power industry?

 
Background

 
Early Air Pollution

 
Carbon Dioxide Measured

 
Clean Air Act

 
Acid Rain

 
Regulating Emissions

 
Current Situation

 
Global Negotiations

 
Court Fight

 
Outlook: Obama Agenda

 
Notes

 
Bibliography

 
 
LAW ENFORCEMENT
 
5. Police Tactics
Do SWAT teams and military tactics and weaponry have a place in policing?

 
Has police use of military-style tactics increased tensions with minority communities?

 
Do body cameras prevent police misconduct?

 
Background

 
Troops in the Streets

 
War on Drugs

 
Drawing Fire

 
New Tensions

 
Current Situation

 
Stemming the Flow

 
Troubled Cities

 
Outlook: Re-engineering Police Culture

 
Notes

 
Bibliography

 
 
6. Racial Profiling
Are racial- and ethnic-profiling prevalent in U.S. law enforcement today?

 
Do aggressive stop-and-frisk tactics help reduce crime?

 
Should courts take a leading role in combating police racial and ethnic profiling?

 
Background

 
“A Difficult History”

 
An ‘Indefensible’ Practice

 
‘Deliberate Indifference’?

 
Current Situation

 
Pressure for Change

 
Mixed Results for Prosecutors

 
Outlook: Regaining Trust?

 
Notes

 
Bibliography

 
 
7. Fighting Gangs
Is the gang threat growing?

 
Is banning street gangs from congregating an effective anti-gang strategy?

 
Can former gang members help quell street violence?

 
Background

 
Immigrant Gangs

 
Postwar Gangs

 
Birth of Modern Gangs

 
Current Situation

 
Gangs on the Internet

 
Policy Progress

 
Outlook: Growing Sophistication

 
Notes

 
Bibliography

 
 
RACE, CLASS, AND ETHNICITY
 
8. Racial Conflict
Would improving police interactions with African-Americans significantly advance race relations in America?

 
Would new laws and government programs reduce institutional racism?

 
Does government need to recommit to school desegregation?

 
Background

 
Slavery and Jim Crow

 
‘White Affirmative Action’

 
Civil Rights

 
Economic Shifts

 
Current Situation

 
Police on Trial

 
Campus Revolts

 
Outlook: Hope and Fear

 
Notes

 
Bibliography

 
 
9. Housing the Homeless
Does unemployment cause most homelessness?

 
Is Housing First the best way to keep people from reverting to homelessness?

 
Should homeless families receive bigger or longer-lasting housing subsidies?

 
Background

 
“I Ain’t Got No Home”

 
Emptying Asylums

 
The “New Homeless”

 
New Strategies

 
Current Situation

 
Arresting the Problem

 
Alternate Approach

 
Outlook: “A Human Right”

 
Notes

 
Bibliography

 
 
10. Wealth and Inequality
Does income inequality hamper economic growth?

 
Are parental background and inheritance becoming more important for success?

 
Should the wealthy be taxed more?

 
Background

 
‘Fatal Ailment’

 
Postwar Prosperity

 
The Great Switch

 
Current Situation

 
Proposed Fixes

 
Executive Pay

 
Outlook: ‘Oligarchic Evolution’

 
Notes

 
Bibliography

 
 
11. Housing Discrimination
Are current government policies contributing to residential segregation?

 
Are current real estate and lending practices contributing to residential segregation?

 
Can local officials do more to reduce racial segregation in housing?

 
Background

 
Separate Worlds

 
Slow Changes

 
Unsettled Times

 
Current Situation

 
Stepping Up Efforts

 
Squaring Off in Court

 
Outlook: Political Challenges

 
Notes

 
Bibliography

 
 
12. Fighting Urban Poverty
Would more federal aid reduce poverty in urban areas?

 
Do federal housing programs alleviate urban poverty?

 
Should the business community play a larger role in solving urban poverty?

 
Background

 
Expanding Slums

 
Depression Era

 
“War on Poverty”

 
Recession Takes Root

 
Current Situation

 
Promise Zones

 
Workplace Issues

 
Presidential Candidates

 
Outlook: Economy Is Key

 
Notes

 
Bibliography

 
Key features
KEY FEATURES: 
  • Pro/con boxes examine two competing sides of a single question giving students a full picture
  • A detailed chronology provides historical context
  • An annotated bibliography and web resources  give students an option for further review
  • Pedagogical features such as photos, charts, graphs, and maps enhance understanding of the issues

Sample Materials & Chapters

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

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