This case study of a small town is the basis for a sweeping and broad analysis of the character of American politics and fills an important void in the literature when many of our national leaders are the product of small towns. This text for students in state and local government, urban government, and political sociology uses various methodological strategies and in-depth interviews with elites and average citizens to test nationwide data about the American political scene today and provides an incisive analysis of local political culture, electoral behavior, and socio-economic factors behind community leadership.NELSON WIKSTROM, Associate Professor of Political Science, Virginia Commonwealth University, is the author of
Councils of Government: A Study of Political Incrementalism(1977), co-editor of
Municipal Government, Politics, and Policy: A Reader(1983), and has written at some length on state and local government and American politics.
The Small Town as a Political Laboratory
West Point: History and Community Profile
West Point: Social Attitudes, Political Culture, and Electoral Behavior
West Point: Government, Politics, and Public Policy
Power, Influence, and Policymaking in West Point
The Chesapeake Corporation and West Point: Chesapeake's Evolving Role in the Political Life of the Community
West Point's Polyarchy: A Mirror Reflection of American Politics