ABSTRACT

The structure of government affects the power possessed by the various urban officials and, therefore, the way they orient themselves to their jobs. Other factors also affect how the occupants of city government offices behave. For example, the financial status of the local government affects whether mayors will focus on new policy initiatives or whether their time will be consumed with dealing with fiscal crises. Officials' personal preferences also affect what they do. Many local governments face fiscal pressures, but different officials use various ways to deal with those pressures. One mayor may try to attract new business development to the area while another may emphasize bringing dollars in through tourism. The formal structure of urban government is important because it sets the context in which residents and other interests must work to influence policy, but the values and behavior of officials also substantially affect the extent to which residents can have an impact on decisions. Officials play various roles. They must decide individually how they are going to balance the various roles and which role they will emphasize.