Degree Type
Honors Capstone Project
Date of Submission
Spring 5-2017
Capstone Advisor
Prof. Jennifer Flad
Honors Reader
Prof. Edwin Ackerman
Capstone Major
Sociology
Capstone College
Arts and Science
Audio/Visual Component
no
Keywords
Local Government, accessibility, poverty
Capstone Prize Winner
no
Won Capstone Funding
no
Honors Categories
Social Sciences
Subject Categories
Civic and Community Engagement
Abstract
This qualitative study seeks to explore, analyze, and challenge the structure and participants in Syracuse local government. In 2015, a study done by Rutgers University professor, Paul Jargowsky, named Syracuse as the city with the poorest Black and Latino populations in the United States (Jargowsky 2015). This study has culminated into an in-depth examination of Syracuse local government and the accessibility of its representative democracy. This study utilizes qualitative methods: participant observation and in-depth semi-structured interviews to explore how groups of citizens engage with the local government through attending public meetings. Three primary themes include: the emergence of a political in-group, the lack of accessibility, and the creation of a political spectacle. All three weaken democracy through discouraging and keeping certain social groups and populations from actively engaging in Syracuse local government.
Recommended Citation
Rinck, Alexis, "Witness the Spectacle, if You Can: An investigative analysis of the accessibility of democracy in Syracuse local government" (2017). Renée Crown University Honors Thesis Projects - All. 1012.
https://surface.syr.edu/honors_capstone/1012
