Global Change and Local Politics: Economic Decline and the Local Regime in Edmonton

ABSTRACT:

The literature on urban politics shows the global economy has a massive influence on local decisionmaking and that the character of local politics varies markedly from city to city. Less attention is devoted, however, to the relative impact of global and local forces on a particular city. This paper addresses that gap by testing the views of Peterson, Mollenkopf and Stone against a case study. The Edmonton case study provides an ideal research setting: economic reversal followed by a series of abject capitulations to the pressures of developers who promised to restore some of the lost business. The economic reversal is shown to have been externally generated. The local response is examined with a view to determining what maneuvering room remained in the face of these circumstances. The author argues that the ultimate effect of externally generated pressures was not predetermined, but was mediated by a complex local political process that could have taken a different course. The theoretical importance of the case is discussed and evaluated.