The Daley Show: Inside the Transformative Reign of Chicago's Richard M. Daley

ISBN: 0252046196

Author: Claypool, Forrest

Condition: New

American cities once had mayors who actually governed.For twenty-two years, Richard M. Daley ran Chicago with the type of authority that is unthinkable today. He reshaped downtown, triggered a jobs boom, delivered the iconic Millennium Park, turned around troubled public schools, and slashed violent crime to 40-year lows. He outfoxed Republican legislators to retain control of OHare Airport and expand it into the nations premier international aviation hub. Leveraging carefully built national political ties, he sidelined a powerful nemesis to tear down Chicagos infamous public housing projects.Rebuilding parts of his fathers legendary political machine through brazen (and illegal) patronage deals, he centralized power to a remarkable degree, cut deals behind closed doors, racked up piles of debt, and made long-term bets whose consequences are still unfolding.This is not simply a biography. It is a challenge to contemporary urban orthodoxy:Do cities thrive because of strong, decisive leaders-or despite them?Through vivid storytelling, this book exposes how Daley consolidated power, aligned business and labor, navigated crises, survived damaging scandals, and imposed discipline on a sprawling city. It dares readers to reconsider what kind of leadership modern American cities truly need.