City Politics is a comprehensive text organized around the theme of political economy. Using a historical approach to reveal enduring patterns in urban politics, the text goes beyond an explanation of government structures and examines the complex interaction between public and private interests.

Dennis R. Judd and Todd Swanstrom have completely updated and reorganized City Politics. The second edition continues to approach urban politics comparatively and includes a new chapter on urban governance that examines the prospects for urban liberalism, conservatism, and populism; new material on tourism as an economic development strategy; the politics of community development; and President Clinton's urban policy.