Governing Jerusalem: again on the world's agenda

Governing Jerusalem describes the governance of a city that is-arguably more than any other city in the world-caught up in the pressures of religious and ethnic competition. Drawing on his twenty years as a resident of Jerusalem, Ira Sharkansky captures the unique traits of the city and relates its politics to what has been written about other cities. Rather than focus on what might happen, the book explains the city's governance by viewing the period since 1967 against events and emotions much older. Two chapters survey the city's history from biblical times to the present. Subsequent chapters describe the institutions of Israeli government that are relevant to the city; the social, economic, and political setting in which governance occurs; and the style and substance of policymaking. The final chapter evaluates the quality of contemporary governance, explains issues that are prominent on agendas of interested parties, and offers alternative scenarios of what might occur.