Tim Weaver | SUNY: University at Albany (original) (raw)
Book by Tim Weaver
Papers by Tim Weaver
Political Science Quarterly, 2017
With the onset of the Great Recession, it looked for a moment that neoliberalism had become vulne... more With the onset of the Great Recession, it looked for a moment that neoliberalism had become vulnerable to challenges from the urban level. Yet, it appears that the neoliberal ideas, institutions, and policy frameworks continue to dominate urban governance. As such, there remains a need to develop interpretive frames through which to examine the construction and reproduction of urban neoliberalism. This article seeks to provide a historically grounded account of urban neoliberalization, which pays specific attention to how neoliberalism has been constructed ideologically, politically, and institutionally. Through a comparison of cases in the United Kingdom and the United States, I suggest that the respective alignment of ideas, institutions, and interests accounts for " the pace, extent, and character " of urban neoliberalization. I argue that the variation in the manner of urban neoliberalization may be captured through two key mechanisms: neoliberalism by design and neoliberalism by default.
This article focuses on the key contributions made by Adolph Reed Jr., focusing on his efforts to... more This article focuses on the key contributions made by Adolph Reed Jr., focusing on his efforts to " restore the political " to analysis of urban politics and race. Reed's position resists the lamentable tendency to " naturalize " political phenomena through abstractions such as the rational, utility-maximizing individual; the unitary city interest; and notion of a corporate black interest. In particular, Reed brings into sharp relief the deficiencies of Paul Peterson's " city limits " idea and the widely popularized notion that African Americans share a " collective racial interest. " I offer an interpretation of Reed's work that suggests, notwithstanding the centrality of critique in his work, that he offers an optimistic vision that opens up the possibility of alternatives to neoliberalism and its attendant ills.
The term ‘urban crisis’ emerged in the USA in the 1950s. Ever since the term came into popular us... more The term ‘urban crisis’ emerged in the USA in the 1950s. Ever since the term came into popular use, it has be mobilised to advance a range of political and economic interests. Utilising a genealogical approach, this article traces the evolution, uses and abuses of the concept. It suggests that the various meanings attached to the term are rooted in two overarching frameworks. While one finds the origins of urban crisis in structural, primarily material, forces, the other sees the crisis as grounded in culture and immorality. The article argues that the concept was deployed in the 1950s and 1960s to justify government intervention of various sorts to stimulate economic growth. However, it finds the fiscal crises of the 1970s gave rise to a dominant understanding of urban crisis that promoted the spread of urban neoliberalism.
Please do not cite without permission Please do not cite without permission 2 change. By contrast... more Please do not cite without permission Please do not cite without permission 2 change. By contrast, neoliberalism by default takes place when city elites reluctantly pursue pro-market policies as a result of financial desperation caused by locallygenerated fiscal difficulties or by the withdrawal of aid the higher levels of government. Philadelphia's partial and incomplete neoliberal trajectory engenders this process. 2 Until recently, mainstream political scientists have neglected both the city and the role of ideas in political development. However, recent work, such as Richardson Dilworth's edited volume, The City in American Political Development, suggests that urban political analysis may be on the cusp of migrating from the margins of the discipline to resume a more prominent position. 3 Furthermore, recent scholarship by Peter Hall, Mark Blyth, Robert Lieberman, and Daniel Béland and Robert Cox has steadily rehabilitated ideational accounts. 4 This paper aims to contribute to those endeavors through an account of urban political development that takes ideas seriously.
Political Science Quarterly, 2017
With the onset of the Great Recession, it looked for a moment that neoliberalism had become vulne... more With the onset of the Great Recession, it looked for a moment that neoliberalism had become vulnerable to challenges from the urban level. Yet, it appears that the neoliberal ideas, institutions, and policy frameworks continue to dominate urban governance. As such, there remains a need to develop interpretive frames through which to examine the construction and reproduction of urban neoliberalism. This article seeks to provide a historically grounded account of urban neoliberalization, which pays specific attention to how neoliberalism has been constructed ideologically, politically, and institutionally. Through a comparison of cases in the United Kingdom and the United States, I suggest that the respective alignment of ideas, institutions, and interests accounts for " the pace, extent, and character " of urban neoliberalization. I argue that the variation in the manner of urban neoliberalization may be captured through two key mechanisms: neoliberalism by design and neoliberalism by default.
This article focuses on the key contributions made by Adolph Reed Jr., focusing on his efforts to... more This article focuses on the key contributions made by Adolph Reed Jr., focusing on his efforts to " restore the political " to analysis of urban politics and race. Reed's position resists the lamentable tendency to " naturalize " political phenomena through abstractions such as the rational, utility-maximizing individual; the unitary city interest; and notion of a corporate black interest. In particular, Reed brings into sharp relief the deficiencies of Paul Peterson's " city limits " idea and the widely popularized notion that African Americans share a " collective racial interest. " I offer an interpretation of Reed's work that suggests, notwithstanding the centrality of critique in his work, that he offers an optimistic vision that opens up the possibility of alternatives to neoliberalism and its attendant ills.
The term ‘urban crisis’ emerged in the USA in the 1950s. Ever since the term came into popular us... more The term ‘urban crisis’ emerged in the USA in the 1950s. Ever since the term came into popular use, it has be mobilised to advance a range of political and economic interests. Utilising a genealogical approach, this article traces the evolution, uses and abuses of the concept. It suggests that the various meanings attached to the term are rooted in two overarching frameworks. While one finds the origins of urban crisis in structural, primarily material, forces, the other sees the crisis as grounded in culture and immorality. The article argues that the concept was deployed in the 1950s and 1960s to justify government intervention of various sorts to stimulate economic growth. However, it finds the fiscal crises of the 1970s gave rise to a dominant understanding of urban crisis that promoted the spread of urban neoliberalism.
Please do not cite without permission Please do not cite without permission 2 change. By contrast... more Please do not cite without permission Please do not cite without permission 2 change. By contrast, neoliberalism by default takes place when city elites reluctantly pursue pro-market policies as a result of financial desperation caused by locallygenerated fiscal difficulties or by the withdrawal of aid the higher levels of government. Philadelphia's partial and incomplete neoliberal trajectory engenders this process. 2 Until recently, mainstream political scientists have neglected both the city and the role of ideas in political development. However, recent work, such as Richardson Dilworth's edited volume, The City in American Political Development, suggests that urban political analysis may be on the cusp of migrating from the margins of the discipline to resume a more prominent position. 3 Furthermore, recent scholarship by Peter Hall, Mark Blyth, Robert Lieberman, and Daniel Béland and Robert Cox has steadily rehabilitated ideational accounts. 4 This paper aims to contribute to those endeavors through an account of urban political development that takes ideas seriously.