At the Pleasure of the Mayor: Patronage and Power in New York City, 1898-1958

Of particular interest to a regional market and a source of information for government, sociology and political science majors, the book's value to the general reader is considerably diminished by the heavy use of jargon and an exceptionally dull academic style. ""At the pleasure of the mayor"" is a phrase employed in New York's city charter and the study explores the way this consider- power in patronage has been employed over 60 years. Using the most sophisticated surveying techniques and data processing equipment, the book documents the trend away from government by an elite based on wealth and social position to one that has been increasingly drawn from the laboring classes. Mr. Lowi further traces the factors that resulted in a decline of party control over voting. This is a long book with numerous tables, footnotes, charts, a specialized bibliography and an index.