Profiling the ten most populous cities in the United States during ten critical eras of political development, Cities in American Political History presents a unique singular focus on American cities, their government and politics, industry, commerce, labor, and race and ethnicity.  

Cities in American Political History analyzes the role that large cities from New York to Chicago to San Jose, have played in U.S. politics and policymaking.  Each entry is structured for straightforward comparison across issues and eras.  The city profiles include basic data and statistics for the era and are accompanied by maps of each era and the largest cities at that time.

Richardson Dilworth is Associate Professor of Political Science and Director of the Center for Public Policy at Drexel University. He is the author of The Urban Origins of Suburban Autonomy (2005) and the editor of two other books: The City in American Political Development (2009) and Social Capital in the City: Community and Civic Life in Philadelphia (2006).