The Political Economy of New York City: Workers' Perspectives ((4 Credits))

Catalog description

This course examines New York City’s economy and the role of politics in directing its growth and distributing its rewards. Its hinge is the Fiscal Crisis of 1975, an event that marked a dramatic shift in the way city government planned for economic growth, interacted with the private sector, and served the people of New York. More specifically, course readings, brief lectures and class discussions will focus on the forces that have shaped life in the city before, during, and after the Fiscal Crisis: the labor movement; public sector institutions; the real estate industry; a widening gap between rich and poor; the privatization of public services. It is also only offered in-class at the college’s Harry J. Van Arsdale Jr. School for Labor Studies in New York City.