The Political Powers in Atlanta - Essay Example

Who has Political Power in Atlanta? There are many views concerning who is the strongest political power in Atlanta. Many believe that it is the American government; other says it is labor unions, while others believe it is the elites in Atlanta. The political powers in Atlanta are indeed very powerful (Domhoff, 2005). The question remains on who controls this city? Is it labor unions, state government or the corporate community, which finances supplies of appointees and elected officials or the public of America through elections, political parties, lobbying, interest groups, and public opinion force? Many say that the state government is the most powerful; analysts observe that social classes and private groups are fast dominating the state. The control of Atlanta city by private interest groups could not be easily deployed because it consists of many groups. However, theorists of state autonomy assert that the states government is the most powerful and not dominant social classes or general citizenry. This is because, it is a monopoly in the city to legitimately use force, it is the only one that defends the city from foreign rivals, and finally it has powers to regulate and tax (Domhoff, 2005). Theorists of state autonomy further say that independent experts can be more powerful than the government because they posses valuable information to state officials. Other researchers believe that labor unions are the most powerful in Atlanta city. This is because they are able to control the economy of this city through labor unions. For example, they are able to hold the supply of workers in industries and such a shortage leads to increase in wages. An increase in wages means high costs of production, which later affects the city’s economy. High production costs mean that the companies and industries in Atlanta will not be in a better position to compete with other companies in the global market. Looking at the elites’ class, it is globally believed that today, modern societies are ruled by elites in their specific societies (Domhoff, 1990). The elites form large organizations of bureaucracy which are either corporate or non profit making. In Atlanta, most political elites who are elected as officials financially depend on families that are wealthy, and corporate leaders. There is a pronounced tendency for the middle and low income earners to adore the elites in their societies. Theses elites greatly influence the actions and thinking of members of their societies. They are ever followed and their advice taken seriously. However, Domhoff, (1990) states that this theory is overruled by the state government and labor unions because these elites are mainly influential only in their societies. On the other hand, labor unions work with corporate organizations. Even if elites are in a position to control the economy of Atlanta, they can only do it up to very minimal levels, unlike labor unions. They also financially depend on wealthy families and corporate, whom they many times conflict with and hence lowering their financial base. State Government The states government has an independent role in Atlanta of developing and formulating public policies, because they are part of the corporation as well as the foundation of policy of financing and planning network. The state government experts provide new ideas and policies. However, they are sponsored by policy network organizations and these ideas are approved or disapproved by corporate leaders, prior to appearing in proposals and reports. The states government works for expansion and stability of Atlanta. It promotes capitalism which boosts the economy of Atlanta besides ensuring that its residents are wealthy. Furthermore, the state controls the military powers of Atlanta which is very central for political stability. Political stability is a very crucial factor for ensuring the strength of power and economic development of any world city. Since the states government controls the factors contributing to political stability, it therefore becomes an important player of a power in Atlanta. This means that the economic and political stability as well as policy making and implementation are great dependants of the state government as far as military control is concerned. In some circumstances, the government can be dominated or captured because it is not potentially autonomous. The states government is fragmented and open to agents from outside, hence vulnerable to being dominated through corporate community appointments and electoral process as well as policy planning network. The corporate leadership groups’ movement of its members within the government and private sector burs the line that differentiates the state from the corporate community. The state is not the strongest in power in Atlanta because its size does not dictate the corporate community in Atlanta. Secondly, government growth from 1960s to 1990s was also evident at the local levels, and this does not conform to the powerful image of state government in Atlanta. Finally, a detailed study by Luger (2000) about the state government budgets reveals that it actually declined by 8.8 % of gross domestic product in 2000. Labor Unions Labor unions are recognized legally as industries’ representatives of workers. Labor unions in Atlanta center their activities through collective bargaining over working conditions, benefits and wages. In Atlanta, labor unions are an important factor in politics through membership mobilization and coalitions with organizations of activists who have similar minds on issues like health care, living wage campaigns, and trade policy and immigrants rights. The active role of labor unions in global trade plays a major role in the politics of Atlanta. In Atlanta, they played a major role in 2008-2009 economic crises due to their very costly labor agreements like health plans and pension. This put the industries and companies in Atlanta at a disadvantaged position in competing with foreign companies, and consequently, many of them collapsed. The political power of unions comes to play that the local government cannot move elsewhere nor receive any threat of foreign competition. The fact that labor unions are able to form a kind of a monopoly that influences the economy of Atlanta makes it very powerful politically. This is backed by the collective one voice among its members. They form some forms of cartels that can influence the supply of labor in the labor market and hence controlling the wages. Such cartels are very powerful since they dictate the position of the city in global market competition. Once they cannot compete globally as a result of the high cost of production, they are forced to close down thus negatively affecting the economy of Atlanta. In response to this, they increase the costs of their products and this cost is incurred by the final consumer. Therefore, they are politically powerful through collective bargaining, one voice and monopoly status. More over, labor unions are the most trusted entities in Atlanta. The public strongly believes them that they easily influence the politics of Atlanta in terms of policy formulation and implementation. Conclusion In conclusion, the labor unions are the most political powerful in Atlanta. This is because, they are legal entities that the public highly trust besides their power to influence political policies in Atlanta. Furthermore, they easily control the economy of Atlanta and determine the competitive position of industries in Atlanta. On the other hand, they are within Atlanta, unlike the state government, which governs all American states. The state government is not the strongest in power in Atlanta because its size does not dictate what the corporate community in Atlanta does. Secondly, government growth from 1960s to 1990s was also evident at the local levels, and this does not conform to the powerful image of state government in Atlanta. References Domhoff, G. W. (1990). The Power Elite and the State: How Policy Is Made in America. Hawthorne, NY: Aldine de Gruyter. Domhoff, G. W. (2005). Who Rules America? (Fifth ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill. Luger, S. (2000). Corporate Power, American Democracy. New York: Cambridge University Press. Read More