This course will introduce the politics in American cities, providing a brief overview of the development of urban politics, the basic structure and mechanisms that the political institutions in the urban area have, and the functions of the U.S. local government. This course includes three main parts, 1) the origins of urban politics, 2) the urban crisis of the twentieth century, and 3) the fractured metropolis. Topics covered include the competitions between larger cities and the suburban areas, the ways to balance between local economic growth and development of the local political systems, the governmental fragmentation of the urban areas and how it influences the functioning of political institutions.