ABSTRACT
Coleman Young has been mayor of Detroit for fifteen years, the second longest of black mayors of a large city and longer than any of his white predecessors. The 1973 election of Young marked a profound shift in the city's governing coalitions. The mayor has occasionally ruminated about a participatory role for City Hall, but has never taken any steps to play a larger role. The mayor's support of the Grand Prix racing for Belle Isle was opposed by many groups in the city. The mayor has quickly embraced the new service economy based on the convention/tourist industry rather than romanticizing about the return of the city's automobile industry to its previous standing in the city's economy. Primary candidates opposing Young will also have to convince Detroit voters that the city can afford to elect an inexperienced individual who might need four to five years to learn to govern effectively.
