The Rise of the Democratic and Republican Mayoral Caucuses and the Nationalization of American Party Politics

Abstract

This article examines the origins and early activities of the National Conference of Democratic Mayors and the National Conference of Republican Mayors. I argue that the rise of partisan mayoral caucuses crystallized deeply rooted debates over the place of cities within the American political tradition. No longer collections of disparate locally rooted organizations, the parties reflected programmatic visions of urban governance in their national programs. Mayors turned to the national parties in response to changes in intergovernmental policies during the Ford administration. In doing so, they contributed to the development of the national party-as-organization and a more integrated party system. Democratic mayors, typically leading big cities that suffered owing to the urban crisis, acted as an urban lobby within their party and urged the party to focus on urban affairs. Republican mayors, typically representing smaller, “newer” cities, promoted a more limited intergovernmental agenda while encouraging mayoral involvement in the national party-as-organization.