A New Urban Conservatism: The Case of Hartford, Connecticut

Abstract

:A new urban conservatism has developed in Hartford, Connecticut, one of the US’ poorest cities. Over one-quarter of its population lives below the poverty level, and every modern urban problem exists within the city. Since 1993, the local government has been controlled by a bipartisan coalition of Republicans and conservative Democrats that has set a distinctive tone in local governance, responding heavily to business elements over the poor. Three controversies that illustrate this conservatism are analyzed: (1) an attempt at private management of the school system; (2) the utilization of zoning to curtail social services in the city; and (3) the limiting of public participation and oversight of city council activities. These developments suggest that a new type of urban conservative regime may be developing, stemming from a new ethos of privatism and the emerging global economy.