Livable Sunnyvale is honored to host Professor Jessica Trounstine, author of the award winning book ‘Segregation by Design: Local Politics and Inequality in American Cities’ for an insightful talk.
When: Wednesday, December 9, 2020, 6:30 PM to 8 PM
Where: Click here to register for the Meeting link
Segregation by Design draws on more than 100 years of quantitative and qualitative data from thousands of American cities to explore how local governments generate race and class segregation. Starting in the early twentieth century, cities have used their power of land use control to determine the location and availability of housing, amenities (such as parks), and negative land uses (such as garbage dumps). The result has been segregation – first within cities and more recently between them. Documenting changing patterns of segregation and their political mechanisms, Trounstine argues that city governments have pursued these policies to enhance the wealth and resources of white property owners at the expense of people of color and the poor. Contrary to leading theories of urban politics, local democracy has not functioned to represent all residents. The result is unequal access to fundamental local services – from schools, to safe neighborhoods, to clean water.
Jessica Trounstine earned her Ph.D. in Political Science from UC San Diego in 2004 and now serves as the Foundation Board of Trustees Presidential Chair of Political Science at UC Merced. Before joining UC Merced in 2009, Professor Trounstine served as an Assistant Professor of Politics and Public Policy at Princeton University. She is the author of 19 peer-reviewed articles, 6 book chapters, and two award winning books, Segregation by Design: Local Politics and Inequality in American Cities (Cambridge University Press) and Political Monopolies in American Cities: The Rise and Fall of Bosses and Reformers (University of Chicago Press). Professor Trounstine’s work studies the process and quality of representation in American democracy She is focused on the ways in which formal and informal local political institutions generate inequalities. Professor Trounstine’s scholarship is mixed-method; reliant on historical analysis, case studies, experiments, and large-n quantitative analyses. She has served as a consultant for the U.S. Department of Justice, city governments, and various community organizations; and serves on numerous editorial and foundation boards. As the 4th political scientists hired at UC Merced, Professor Trounstine has played a crucial role in helping to build the university.