URBAN POLITICS: POWER IN METROPOLITAN AMERICA mixes the best classic theory and research on urban politics with the most recent developments in urban and metropolitan affairs. Six fundamental themes guide the book: the importance of private power and the rise of public-private partnerships; the continuing role of formal rules and structures of government; the importance of external affairs and intergovernmental relations in the modern city; commonalties and differences among Frostbelt and Sunbelt cities; the complexity of racial issues and the effect of the new immigration; and the importance of the gendered city.