Imagine a world ruled by mayors. Nation-states and federal governments become obsolete because cities are fully capable of running themselves. Benjamin Barber proposed that very idea in a Ted Talk he gave titled: “Why Mayors Should Rule the World”. However, his point of contention does not account for three potential dilemmas: It would be harder to solve global issues, ruralism would be eradicated, and laws would no longer be consistent. I disagree with the points made by Benjamin Barber in his TED Talk; mayors should not rule the world because it would lead to a plethora of conflicts and controversy. A common argument made to support mayors ruling the world is that it would become easier to solve global issues. However, global issues are more likely to eventually be harder to solve. For instance, there are currently 193 countries in the United Nations, an organization designed to promote international cooperation, and to create and maintain international order. The UN has done that by sending sixty-nine peacekeeping and observer missions to the world’s trouble spots over the past six decades. There are now sixteen peacekeeping operations around the world, carried out by approximately 125,000 men and women from 120 countries who go where others cannot or will not go. If humanity were to dispose of nation-states, the UN would no longer exist. Instead, it would likely have to be replaced by a new organization called the United Cities (for example). If that were the case, what
Many municipals (self-governed cities) are divided into three separate types of governments: Mayor-Council, Commission, and Council-Manager. The Council-Manager form is generally used in larger cities and consists of a council of five to fifteen members, elected by districts, and a mayor who is elected by the council and is responsible for multiple “city managers” to implement the various policies. The Mayor-Council form is of similar structure to the Council-Manager form except
The nature of World cities is one of dominance and influence rather than just size. They are powerful centres of economic and cultural authority within their region and on the global stage. They are
Hazen Pingree was known as “Mayor of the whole city, without regard to class faction or party.” Pingree helped to pioneer the economic wave in which made Michigan one of the great manufacturing states. He was a dynamic, innovative political figure and one of the few to have developed a devoted massive following. He broke from past Republican practices and formed his own. Pingree was a businessman with no political experience. By 1890’s, he was reportedly the largest shoe manufacturer in the west. His company capitalized on his success by naming a shoe “Governor.” The wealthy citizens figured since he was a man of wealth, he would support the businesses interests and cater to the wealthy. They were wrong. Pingree stated, “I do not condemn corporations
The City of Bend, Oregon Government consists of approximately 500 employees across thirteen different divisions. These divisions are Police, Fire, Community Development, Public Works, etc and are all coordinated under the City Manager’s office. Bend’s government style is called a “weak mayor” form of city government, in that the citizens elect a city council, which then elects a mayor from among the council members. The city council and mayor, then hire a City Manager to run the day to day operations of the city. In doing this form of government, the City Manager is not directly accountable to the citizens and can focus on the needs of the city and its employees. At the same time, the City Council can only provide direction to the city manager and is accountable to the citizens. The city employees in this case are led by the city manager as directed by city council. The community leadership environment in this case is established by council to provide direction to the city manager.
The idealism was directly on course with the prevailing knowledge of a professional city manager, however, fiscal stress has heightened the debate about the role of local government and has increased the conflict about scarce resources (Newell, p. 27, 2014). The appointment of an emergency manager to run the city and to help return the city to local government was received by many as overstepping the boundaries of government control. The out of control downward spiral economically for cities across the United States forced state legislatures and the governors to drastic measures to curb the downturn of cities under their leadership. The idea, which could be argued has merit to help resolve the declining revenues in these cities, has led to consequences of solving one problem, but creating a much larger
The United Nations was to be a place where there was peace between the countries, a place where they can dispute their differences, a place to support each other and benefit from the allies a country made by being in the United Nations. It was “designed to make possible lasting freedom and independence for all its members” (Document B). Not long after it was founded, it started falling apart. People had different idea of how it should have been ran but the people who got their way was the bigger and stronger countries. They came to an agreement that the bigger countries—the United States, Soviet Union, Great Britain, France, and China—would have veto power and the other countries that were a part of it would take smaller roles in the decisions
Freedom of municipal law, when pertaining to the state government, has its pros and cons. One pro is the lack of necessary for the state to review every policy that the city makes. Another is that the cities could work on ways to solve their own problems and allow more of the community’s voices to be heard. A corresponding con is the lack of connection between the cities and states that could further lead to a misuse of power. Also, if the cities feel that there is little to no authority acting over them, they could become power hungry and try to push policies that their communities disagree with.
“So the city now will instruct me how to govern?” “Now you're talking like someone far too young. Don’t you see that?” “A city which belongs to just one man is no true city.” “According to our laws does not the ruler own the city?”
General-Law Cities are usually under a population of 5,000 or cities that have not adopted the home-rule style of government. With the state limiting the size of council, they also specify duties of the mayor, municipal officials, and emplacing additional boundaries on matters that home-rule can determine themselves. A downfall to this style of leadership is that with the small size getting someone with knowledge to come in and effectively manage the city and its
The United Nations fights for humanitarian issues through the use of peaceful dialogue between countries and leaders. The UN's powers of authorising peacekeeping, sanctions and force when absolutely necessary is given to it by the UN charter, an international treaty. They are limited by the fact that they cannot make their resolutions and policies the law, however the important conversations they start and ideas that are shared are influential upon the many powerful leaders who choose to listen.
The mayor is weak, the city council is composed of numerous individuals, and the city manager is supposed to stay out of politics." Thus, council manager cities have a tendency to respond more to tip top and white collar class concerns than to those of the regular workers and ethnic minorities. The business first class and the white collar class have more organizations and leaders who have entry to city government and know how to function the system Just a minority of council-manager cities have mayors who routinely give strong political and strategy leadership. One of these exceptions is San Antonio, where mayors for the most part are strong leaders The council-manager form seems to function admirably in cities where most individuals are of the same ethnic gathering and social class and share regular goals. Obviously, couple of focal cities fit this description, yet numerous suburbs
The Problems of Municipal Administration written by Jane Addams described the problems of public administration in targeted social publics that affected the community, specifically she mentioned the inequalities and injustices of municipal administration. The author stars by pointing out the failure of municipal administration to address the issues emerging in society. The social changes brought by the increased of industrialization in the 18th century failed to address the necessities of society. Addams emphasized, “…failure in municipal administration, the so-called “shame of American cities,” may be largely due to the inadequacy of those eighteen-century ideals, with the breakdown of the machinery which they provided, and further, to the weakness inherent in the historic and doctrinaire method when it attempts to deal with growing and human institutions” (p. 51). The lack of adjustment between democracy and the study of the external conditions affecting the communities was a problems that governmental officials failed to take into consideration.
The UN has an agreement with all other nation states to not get in conflict with each other and to settle differences in meetings to prevent another world war. It also makes them stronger as a
One way to see public administration in action is by attending a city council meeting, whether it be in an urban or rural area, public administration still has a part in each event. As Kettl (2018; p. 244) referenced in his book, there is not a civil system that would be sustainable without strong leadership. This paper will discuss the author’s description, observation, and reflection during a city council meeting.
“ Here is a task truly of, by and for the world, one that should rally nations. The nature of this task however, must be clearly understood; only then can suitable means for accomplishing it be formulated, only then can the role that the United Nations could and should play be appreciated” ( Wilcox/Haviland, 29). There are many international organizations that have been talked about throughout this semester. One of the most important ones is The United Nations. The United Nations was established October 24, 1945, and has since then been impacting the country. The United Nations main purpose according to the lecture notes is “ to provide a global additional structure through which states can sometimes settle conflicts with less reliance on the use of force , for whole purpose of the United Nations is to provide the globe a forum by which countries may settle disputes through this forum peacefully as opposed to relying on a force which has been the case historically” ( Kopalyan, Module 8). Thus meaning The United Nations was set up to handle problems peacefully rather than going to war to try and solve problems. “Powerful economic as well as political forces are at work to bring about a growing integration of the world community, and the United Nations and its related agencies are uniquely fitted to assist in the task” (Wilcox/Haviland,45). This was some of the reason that the United Nations was created.