Includes index.

Contents: Introduction -- Mayors and their leadership environments -- Kane Ditto and the leadership environment in Jackson, Mississippi -- Mike Peters and the legacy of public leadership in Hartford, Connecticut -- Mayors and contemporary urban issues -- John Logie and intergovernmental relations in grand rapids, Michigan -- David Fischer, race relations, and political incorporation in St. Petersburg, Florida -- William A. Johnson Jr. and education politics in Rochester, New York -- Richard Arrington Jr. and police-community relations in Birmingham, Alabama -- Mayors and economic development -- J. Christian Bollwage and economic development in Elizabeth, New Jersey -- David Rusk and the politics of ''slow growth'' in Albuquerque, New Mexico -- A.J. Holloway and casino gambling in Biloxi, Mississipi -- Patrick Ungaro, Brownfield redevelopment, and redevelopment, and revitalization in Youngstown, Ohio -- Charles box and regime politics in Rockford, Illinois -- Vincent Cianci and Boosterism in providence, Rhode Island -- Conclusion -- Mayoral Leadership in middle-sized cities.