Zohran Mamdani’s historic victory in the New York City Democratic mayoral primary last week spurred an avalanche of political, aesthetic, and ideological takes.
It also in passing references a difference between the NYC and Chicago mayoral positions: the Chicago one is on paper more of a "weak-mayor" role (in the terminology of my old poly-sci professors). As rookie Chicago mayors keep discovering they actually can't change all that much just on their own statutory authority. To succeed they have to be skilled persuaders and/or bullies with the city council and with county/state electeds.
I take this as good news for NYC while emphasizing the fact that Chicagoans (and by implication) all Illinoisans are fucked by the Pritzker-Johnson fiscal catastrophe.
This new piece from Yglesias is worth the read:
https://substack.com/inbox/post/166797548
It also in passing references a difference between the NYC and Chicago mayoral positions: the Chicago one is on paper more of a "weak-mayor" role (in the terminology of my old poly-sci professors). As rookie Chicago mayors keep discovering they actually can't change all that much just on their own statutory authority. To succeed they have to be skilled persuaders and/or bullies with the city council and with county/state electeds.
I take this as good news for NYC while emphasizing the fact that Chicagoans (and by implication) all Illinoisans are fucked by the Pritzker-Johnson fiscal catastrophe.