The politics of San Antonio community, progress and power

rn?rws

Rook

Conflict in San Antonio

demise

after the ment

League.

account in

THE

POLITICS

Community, edited

OF SAN

Progress

by David

to this

ANTONIO

and Power

R. Johnson,

John

A.

Booth and Richard Harris

and contemporary conflicts between the r;lccs in modern S:m Antonio go beyond rzkl ;tnimosit\;. Economic ancl political control go hand in hand with racial domination. day

The

University of Nebraska Press, Lincoln, 1984, 248 pp, f8.45 The editors of this book have mndc ;I refreshing contribution to the deb:ite on ethnic politics and community powcr. They have brought topethcr ten essays that span the entire range of politics in this American sunbelt city; including the history of S;m Antonio. its go\,ernmental structure. education. r;icc rckitions ;ind grassroots organizz tion. 7%~ Politics c$ Smr Arttmio differs from the typical anthology of v.\orks in that virtualI> LIII of tt1c artictcs were written for this vol~ime and that each contributes to ;I single theme. Also. most of the :n?iclca m:~l;c ;in argument for elitism and elite dominance in San Antonio politics. As the editors remark in their introductory statement. ‘;it e:lch stage of the city’s growth \arious groups. but m<>st especially local and social and econo-

authors

make

the

argument

that

;I closed circle of the economic :ind political elite emerged early in the history of San Antonio and that it essentially ran the city. John Booth :md David Johnson lay out the so&II nnd economic development of Sin Antonio from the Texits Independence W:u with Mexico to 1970. In ;I straight narrative style. the authors document the connection between the social and economic forces that brought about a long period of AngloAmerican business dominance in San Antonio politics.

The

conflict

between

nos (1L~esic~~n-Americans) in the citv

Amcricanh Texas’s

fight

Mexico.

But ;IS the three

c’4savs 4how.

624

for these

independence

in

from

introductq

strupglcs

Tucker fall

and Anglo-

continue

Antonio

because

dominance

politics

but

powerful

Good

politics

more

ernment

be

of

one

of

analyses San

powerful

political

business

dominated

ment

se

League.

voting

trends

the rise

Antonio’s

most

0rpaniLations. (Good

Brischetto. in the tit\

ami

the

Govern-

et (I/. aiii~lybefoi-e and

Our

knowledge

and

machine

greatl! on

such

expanded

contemporar\

;IS the

in the Iattcr

present

ical data: there of the book.

Good

Gov-

cannot

the

of

data and

its

shortcomings

lie

in

the

\‘agueness

All

make

of many of these cssi~vs in this collec-

the

Ireference

is

to ‘elite

with

elected

rule’

main.

In the

dominance’.

concern

but be

excellent

7‘1~ Politicc of SO/I ;I complete SLICC~SS.

not

its

articles.

book’s

style.

is

conceptual

strengths

help

of research

of

of empir-

lies the main

by

presentation

two-thirds

plethora

;I

One

impressed

ilnfmio

Gibson

Antonio

politicall!

Lequc\ Texas citiec

many

work

essays

‘elite

of

is vital

League.

the book

tion

San

machines

organizations

analysis

Government

would

Most

in

the 1YSOs.

political

is

impor-

League

bec;iuse

in

throughout

This

of the organization‘s

also

developed

useful

most

A close

not only

The

behaviour

Government

31.year

with

voting

is presented.

tant contributions. the Good

of

but

one of the book’s

Ne\,ertheless.

Boom

Chica-

has its roots

San

perhaps

Govcrn-

short,

;I

of Chicano

straightforward

Likewise, Richard Jones demonstrates the w;iys in which this process continues and how San Antonio has gradu;~lly become linked to the national economy and become ;I part of the Southwestern economic boom. The third chapter in this section. written b! Richard llarris. is dedic;ited to the mic elites. have used political power to city’s Mexican-American majority. He implement their version of San Anto;nnalyses the socioeconomic chnracternio’s future’ (p vii). istics of the Chic:mo population and To this end. I4 authors from various their trends in economic achievement disciplines attempt to demonstrate their case for elite control over IOC~II and mobility. All essays in this section make good USC of historical docupolitics in San Antonio. It must h:tve mentation and are presented in ;I way been difficult to g:ither ;I series of works th:lt pursue a similar theme on :I that provides the reader with ;I clear understanding of San Antonio‘s dissingle tit!; yet thcsc essays hold tinctive political culture. together quite well. This is ;I testament The remziining two-thirds of the both to the high quality of the co11book is dedicated to an+sing ‘Contributions ~1s well ;I:, the skill \vith tcmporar! political forces‘ (part two). which the editor\ uclded the ess;~v\ and ‘Urban policy issues’ (part three). into ;I coherent whole. the meat and potatoes of any comA\ the introductory essays rcve:il. munity power study. These six essays kin Antonio h:ts ;I complex history of provide ;I broad overview of the S:m racial and economic conflict that has Antonio political arena. left ;~n indelible mark on its present politics.

of the Good and

OI-

theit

official\

and

v:trlable\ associated pith the etcction of public offici&. lindoubtedly. the editors S;IWtheir mission ;I\ one of informing the reader and the avoikrnce of what one :Luthor c;Llted ‘long and somewhat wearying’ dcbatc ~,WI community power. the

Despite

these

in the field

will

disclaimers. be quick

that the technical

concepts

community

power

theorcticat

meaning

the!

are

c‘rmore. book

used only

GUI

hypothesis

said

notion

is’s

essay

of

throughout

change

work

;I

and

conccptuall!,

‘L.eadership more

tion

;I

in Thomas

San

are

puts

fes\ting

power,

is evident

temporary

diy~ar;ifcs

be

Flowe\,er.

culties the first

to

of power- to the tt3t.

problem

the book.

if

loosely. Furththe css;~vs in this

of community

rigorous This

ha\,e great

that can be lost

too

onI\’ one of them

out

LISTS111the

debate

two of

be

scholars

to point

Antonio‘.

powerthe

these

pronouncccl.

that addresses directly. fact

CITIES

HayIin cotidiffiThis

the Dr

that

November

i\

C~LI~SHavlis the

1984

possibility like

structure

single group influence

In

plural

his

an

leaders elite

Good

dence

League

local

a new

political

of change.

Chicano

author

.

new

and

er,

Dr

level.

these trbscrv:l-

scnsc;

surely

his purpose.

Baylis

officials

only

looks

they

have

Little

in the way of political

and policy factors

at elected

outputs

to

is revealed.

a basis by wjhich of power

criticism

an

that an ‘elite’ effectively

the

and

that

But

do

years

occurred. pluralist

have the elite

The

particularly

all

we

now

his essay urban

essay

Plotkin talists

‘Democratic

on

reading

of

these ten

will come away wjith

feel

for

conflicts

The

change

the

and

social

in San Antonio.

the

threaten

CITIES November

1984

commences and

pointins

between

extreme

volumes

methodologies urban

in

conflict in an

construcwater

perspcc-

field.

Mr

.J.

Bank

to

and

analyse

used

planning

developing

world.

The resultant

ing paper.

which

is concisely in the

is divided

the

procedures

transport

and.

could

in the workwritten.

main.

well

into two parts. The

first

critically

evaluates

urban

port

planning

as carried

out over

the

focusing

the

past

20

attention The

or

second

practical adopted

30

on

developing

suggests approach

in

the

really

warrants

nified

description

ing paper’.

years.

the

world.

a more that

future. a somewhat

trans-

suitable

might The

be

report

more

dip-

than the term ‘work-

markets. sequent mand

the

urban

on

to

and. notably, sibility

price

in the developing

the

traditional

rarely,

the

if

vcloping

ever. world.

Therefore, should

upi’. with

which

LISA policies unnecessary

the pas-

hc states

ot that

policies

adopted

h>

developed

world

are

suitable owing

for

embody

emphasis bu\

on car usage. should

the

to their

cities in developing

place greater

restrictions

solutions.

the functioning

mechanism.

of

aincl de-

not mentioning

the cities

of the tollLISCof existing

deal

of improving

in-

price

transport~itioii

is commented

Going

the

the

of supply

especially

the

escalating

of

by the inefficient

world.

deextra

by

aggravation

mismatch

facilities.

tions

with provokcd

in The

and

explains

functioning

mechanism

under-

the differ-

of providing

to cope

travel

is one of the mo\t

~ipon

ordered,

This

in the

lie

a

trans-

their

out

developing

difficulty

capacity

with

of urban

problems

causes,

ences

the World

called

on

in the

city’s

a neo-Marxist

have

that

easy to read

and environmen-

tion

part

of the nature

portation

Thomson

to

Professor

ii political

first

review

IN

World Bank Staff Working Paper No 600, The World Bank, Washington, DC, 1983, $5.00

for

is a

Plotkin

the issue of housing

From

URBAN

lying

qualified

rules?

level.

where

would

fared

COUNTRIES

a

attempt

area of San Antonio supply.

to see

have

PLANNING

Thomson

or

power

economy‘.

developers

over

BETTER

workers

minor

really

by Sidney

examine

between

I-1

field

Overcoming urban transport problems in developing countries

Michael

conflict.

and empirical

political

would

After

the

the

Ben Marquez Deparfment of Political Science San Jose State University San Jose, CA, USA

take.

data set.

Among

have

conccdcd

Who

is offered

analysis

to

the

might

been interesting

has

in San Antonio

interesting

a theoretical

his

the entire

politics.

adequate

over

change

come to grips wjith these questions analysis

how over

more

his work

directions

power

arc

contribution

essays. the reader political

they

made

an excellent

protected

(p 157). Plotkin’s and

have

urban

the

of Tlw f’oli-

out by the r&h empiric-

celoptxi countries.

make

challenged

merely

second

have

the

and

Whatever

shortcomings

al and descriptive

must

against

the

in a straightforward

tic. of Srrr~ Alltorlio.

authors

All

and powerlessness

manner.

than balanced

in San Antonio

of mobilization.

and compromise?

It would

by J. Michael

harsh

book

sonic

democracy

issues? What

organizations

helpful.

DEVELOPING

to judge

unduly

in this

has been

in

Antonio

to give

to levy on one essay. Still.

the point

to build

in San Antonio.

is

the contributions

conceptual

sense. Short-run

study of community

TRANSPORT

These

in order

the reader

this

to

tested

arc

TOWARD

office.

dynamics

the nature Perhaps

able

San

to some exciting

out

compelling

not detract

by which

brought

are necessary

the

Howev-

and the mechanisms been

points

are laid

He

rules. and legally

assertions

of power

and

of as a pluralistic

of capitalism’

elements

should

contributions.

balance of forces’ in San Antonio

perfect

achieved

of several

I le

(P 111). On an intuitive make

is evi-

to political

a

be

logic.

office.

‘.

eventually power

to public

that

be thought

criticisms

the book’s

action.

drive

gains hv grassroots

process

and the election

relatively ambiguous has been established

tions

city in the traditional

structure

groups

leaders

concludes

cannot

of change

were

area.

has

he cites the rise of

Mexican-Americaii

a developer’s

cvilater

As

groups

endangered

no longer

Antonio.

local

from

Chicano

governmental while

These

excellent

of political

and the limits

that

stymie the

and the

electoral

in San

prominence

He

interests

Government that

provides

structure.

the

a

and poli-

an

problems

environmental

Good

San Antonio

business

developing

the

provides

of the

through finds

he identifies

then

that

power that

dominate and

and

of

entertained’ of

Plotkin

analysis

mobilization

give way

of business

to argue

argues

study

circle

by a

distribution

League.

Government close knit dence

gradually

[is] not usually

95).

tical

dominated

might

to a genuinely (p

tive.

that in real cases a ppmid

power

\eek

deco\t.

nation\ on solu-

priority

and

while

land

to

cut

out

travel.

625