Preface and Acknowledgments
Introduction
The Evolution of Reform
Saints and Sinners
Tweed: Reform's Child and Champion
Purifying the Polls
Reform Comes of Age
Murphy's Law: The Direct Primary
Changing of the Guards
The New Goo-Goos
The Battle Over Nonpartisan Elections
Not Your Grandfather's Nonpartisanship
The Politics of Process
Bossism and Ballot Access
Noncompetitive Elections: The Elephant in the Room
Participation and Representation
Race Concerns and Race Cards
The New Fusion
Campaign Finance Follies
Redeeming Reform
Notes
Index
Subtitle: The Grand Failures of
New York's Political Crusaders and the Death of Nonpartisanship Author:
Francis S. Barry Subject:
Public Policy, Regional Cloth ISBN: 978-0-8135-4478-6 Pages:
306 pages Publication Date: June 2009
Listen to Francis Barry discussing
past efforts to reform New York City's political process on The Brian Lehrer Show.
Praise for The Scandal of Reform:
“A valuable contextual
profile of 19th-century reform
and reformers in New York,
replete with durable observations by contemporary politicians. Barry
skewers
the notion that today’s local elections are truly competitive and makes
a
convincing argument to re-examine some orthodoxies that led a number of
reform
groups to oppose past efforts to hold a state constitutional
convention.”—Sam Roberts, The New York
Times
"Finally, the real story
of political reform in New York – and it's not
what you think. The Scandal of Reform
should be a wake-up call for Democrats, Republicans, and independents
alike. If everyone who cares about the health of our nation's democracy
reads this book, there may be hope for reform yet."—Michael R. Bloomberg,
Mayor, New York City
"As someone whose election might not have been possible without
nonpartisan elections, I applaud Barry's work for its critical analysis
of issues at the core of our evolving democracy. What will it take for
us to be a robust, inclusive democracy with the highest levels of
participation? Barry's insightful book helps us understand our past and
points to the promise of our future." —Cory Booker, Mayor, Newark
"The Scandal of Reform will
change your understanding of New York's political history and challenge
your view of modern urban elections. Francis Barry presents an
insightful and clear-headed re-evaluation of the reform movement and
its effects on the democratic process, slaying sacred cows - and
sparing no party - as he goes. There are lessons here for every city in
America."—Jonathan Capehart, Washington Post
"Barry's work is full of
wisdom about
local politics. His well-written history of the machine/reform dynamic
over the
last 150 years is balanced and fair. He casts a critical eye on the
city's
campaign finance system, arguing that it has not increased political
competition."-Gotham Gazette, 10/5/09
Description:
No city in the world
has seen more intense political battles between bosses and reformers
than New York, which is home to America’s original party machine,
Tammany Hall, and its most spectacular urban corruption scandals.
In these battles, reformers have always presented themselves as white
knights, gallantly crusading for good government against the petty and
corrupt hacks who are driven by self-interest. So it remains
today.
But, as The Scandal of Reform
makes clear, this good versus evil storyline is mostly myth—an urban
legend perpetuated by a reform community that has always been more
self-righteous than right and more interested in power than in
democracy.
Francis S. Barry examines the evolution of political reform from the
frontlines of New York City’s recent reform wars. He offers an
insider’s account and analysis of the controversial 2003 referendum
debate on nonpartisan elections, and he challenges reformers—and
members of both parties—to reconsider their faith in reforms that are
no longer serving the public interest.
About the Author:
Francis S. Barry has
worked as a policy advisor and director of speechwriting for New York
City’s Mayor Michael Bloomberg since 2002, helping to shape and
implement the mayor’s numerous political reform initiatives.
