In Wake of Scandals, 2 Major Cities May Curb Politicians' Power

Governing: There are always concerns that city councilmembers can become too parochial, obsessing about how projects will affect their own districts rather than the city as a whole. In two cities, recent scandals have shown that this way of thinking can become an avenue to crime.

In both Chicago and Philadelphia, members of the city council are facing criminal charges that stem from development decisions. Councilmembers in those cities are given unusual amounts of authority when it comes to matters such as selling government-owned land.

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