Segregation by Design: Local Politics and Inequality in American Cities

‘This is a terrific and timely book. Trounstine analyzes one of the pillars of structural racism and how it was built cumulatively to become something that on the surface looks like the workings of a color-free market. While big outcomes seldom derive solely from a single factor, Trounstine does a superb job of placing the political dominance of white homeownership in a long and consequential directory.’ Clarence Stone, Research Professor of Political Science and Public Policy, The George Washington University

‘Segregation by Design is one of the best books on urban politics in years. Trounstine takes on fundamental issues of segregation and inequality across cities and shows how policies meant to guarantee equal access to public services have often had perverse consequences. The book is beautifully written, erudite, and interesting on virtually every page. We need more books like this.’ Christopher Berry, William J. and Alicia Townsend Friedman Professor, University of Chicago

‘Trounstine’s effective use of primary and secondary historical evidence and a wide range of quantitative data and methods results in a convincing argument about the role of local government actors in generating residential segregation. This book is a compelling and important contribution to the large literature on the causes and consequences of geographic segregation in the US.’ Elisabeth R. Gerber, Jack L. Walker, Jr Professor of Public Policy, Associate Dean, Ford School of Public Policy, University of Michigan

‘Trounstine fills an enormous hole in our understanding of how segregation evolved in the United States.’ J. Eric Oliver, University of Chicago

The first account of how local governments generate segregation, this book documents changing patterns of segregation, the political mechanisms that produce them, and the consequences. It will be read by scholars, students, and general readers interested in urban politics, inequality, segregation, race, public policy, history, and urban economics.

Jessica Trounstine is Associate Professor of Political Science at University of California, Merced. She is the author of Political Monopolies in American Cities: The Rise and Fall of Bosses and Reformers (2008), which won the American Political Science Association’s (APSA) Prize for Best Book on Urban Politics. Trounstine served as President of the Urban and Local Politics Section of APSA from 2014-2015. Her research examines subnational politics and the process and quality of representation.