St. Louis
Currents
The
Must-Have
Resource on
the Region
Critical Perspectives on Key Issues
• More than two dozen authors examine
where the region has been and where it’s
going after a century of planning.
• This outstanding volume has over 400
pages of critical essays and insights by
some of the region’s top leaders and
scholars.
An Amazing Piece of History
• In 1907, St. Louis became the
first city in the United States
to develop a comprehensive
city plan.
• A high-quality digital
reproduction of the entire
city plan is included, along
with its historic photographs
and illustrations.
• This rare volume is presented
here in searchable PDF
format. (191 pages)
The Proposed Public Buildings Group for Downtown St. Louis
Is the Mississippi River the Middle of the Region or the
Edge?
Cultural Distinctions between
Missouri and Illinois
Andrew J. Theising
Institute for Urban Research
Southern Illinois University Edwardsville
The Region
Approximately
900 units of government
2.8 million people
1.1 million households
www.stlrcga.org /x285.xml
www.ewgateway.org/pdffiles/library/wws/wws06.pdf
Missouri:
75% of population
55% of government
Illinois: 25% of population
45% of government
http://www.focus-stl.org/AboutUs/RegionWeServe.aspx
Missouri and Illinois Political Cultures
Eastern Missouri is
Traditionalistic
• Interpersonal Relationships
• Social Hierarchy
• Status Quo
Illinois is Individualistic
• Democracy as Marketplace
• Laissez-faire politics
• Struggle with Corruption
From the scholarship of
Daniel J. Elazar
Temple University
American Federalism:
The View from the States
(1966)
Missouri!
Interpersonal Relationships
• A handshake means a lot
• Leaders are accessible
• “Where did you go to high
school?”
• Family Rule is common
Family Rule!
Clay
Blunt
Carnahan
Social Hierarchy
• “those at the top of the social structure…
take a special and dominant role” in
decision-making
• Civic Progress, formally (the business
group, not the punk band)
• Elite social circles, informally
• Ties back to family rule—Slay, Danforth,
Taylor, Schlafly
• Many small fiefdoms
Social Hierarchy
• The Reality of Racism
– Race relations are difficult in Traditionalistic states
– Most southern states tend to be Traditionalistic in
political culture
– Creeps into many discussions, analyses, and debates
• While great progress has been made, there is much
work to be done
• Southern Illinois shares Missouri’s traditionalistic
streak—and the state has had three race riots
(1909, 1917, and 1919)
Status Quo
• Missouri Hancock Amendment
– Tax Expenditure Limitation
movement
– Strips legislature of the power to
implement new taxes or tax increases
• Missouri lags in government
spending per capita
• New programs are difficult to fund
and implement, unless strong
popular support exists
Illinois!
Democracy as Marketplace
• Lots of small government in
Illinois
• Townships and Special
Districts
• Many decision-makers
• High degree of bargaining
(pluralism)
Laissez-Faire Government
• A history of “merging public and private
prosperity” (Boorstin)
• Many examples of company towns
–
–
–
–
National City 1907
Roxana 1917
Monsanto 1926
Alorton 1944
• Lots of power pushed to the local level
Corruption
Anybody wanna
buy a Senate
seat?!?
Corruption
Governor Dan Walker
Fraudulent Loans
Convicted in 1987
Sentenced to 7 Years
Governor Otto Kerner
17 counts of bribery
Convicted 1973
Sentenced to 3 Years
Governor George Ryan
22-count Indictment on Corruption
Convicted in 2006
Sentenced to 6 Years
Governor Milorad
“Rod” Blagojevich
Abuse of Power
Impeached and Convicted
by the State Legislature 2009
Federal indictment 2009
Is it really that bad? No.
• Both Missouri and Illinois have political
baggage, just like other states
• There are some excellent assets in the
region
• St. Louis enjoys stability, a relatively low cost
of living, and accessible institutions
• This is a region that has deep traditions and
has preserved more of its past than other
regions
What the people want…
• Governments that are comfortable…
• Elected officials that are approachable…
• Change that is fully justified and incrementally
implemented…
• Avoiding too much risk in abandoning the familiar
for the unknown…
• A balance between keeping close what should be
nearby and joining forces when most would benefit
from cooperation…
(From Terry Jones, 2000, Fragmented by Design)
The End!