Abstract
Draws on an ongoing international investigation on urban fiscal innovation in 7,000 cities throughout 35 Western countries to illustrate how local governments have managed to increase their political power over federal regulations, 1976-1996. Nimes, France, is presented as a city that has extended its local power to the extreme, setting itself up as a municipality governed by a syndicalist & communist council. Most examples come from the US, with CA cities extending the fiscal powers they received from the state's 1976 Proposition 13 & IL cities finding creative ways to draw business & economic participation while keeping their physical landscape attractive. It is concluded that Western cities exhibit myriad developmental innovations, indicating a trend toward more economic & political autonomy. 1 Table, 46 References. Adapted from the source document.