Book

The streets of San Francisco : policing and the creation of a cosmopolitan liberal politics, 1950-1972

Agee, Christopher Lowen

Overview

\"For decades, the city of San Francisco has been nearly synonymous with the word 'liberal, ' known for its social diversity, inclusive democracy, and thriving art scene. But this has not always been the case. Liberalism in San Francisco in the years right after World War II was mostly confined to notions of state welfare and business regulation. It wasn't until the 1950s and 1960s, when new peoples and cultures poured into the city, that San Francisco produced a new liberal politics. Christopher Lowen Agee details this fascinating transition in The Streets of San Francisco, focusing in particular on the crucial role the police played during this cultural and political shift. He partly attributes the creation and survival of cosmopolitan liberalism to the police's new authority to use their discretion when interacting with African American gang leaders, owners of gay and lesbian bars, Haight-Ashbury hippies, artists who created sexually explicit works, Chinese American entrepreneurs, and a host of other postwar San Franciscans. In thus emboldening rank-and-file police officers, Agee shows, the city created partners in democratic governance. The success of this model in San Francisco resulted in the rise of cosmopolitan liberal coalitions throughout the country. Today, liberal cities across America ground themselves in similar understandings of democracy through an emphasis on both broad diversity and strong policing.\"--From the publisher.

• Publisher: The University of Chicago Press
• Subject: 1900-1999 / Police California San Francisco. / Police. / Politics and government. / Social conditions. / San Francisco (Calif.) Politics and government 20th century. / San Francisco (Calif.) Social conditions 20th century. / California San Francisco.
• ISBN: 022637808X, 9780226378084

Item info:

1 item available

1 item total in all locations

Holdings :

Call Number	Copies	Material	Location
F869.S357 A34 2016	1	BOOK	AUTOSTORE