Memo from Motown: is austerity here to stay?

Economic decline and racial tension have left indelible marks on Detroit and its region. Parallel tracks of recession and race exacerbate and have been exacerbated by Detroit’s political and governing culture and the long-term inability of its leadership to develop a stable governing regime. Over the past 60 years Detroit suffered significant losses of population, jobs and tax base, forcing the City to file for bankruptcy protection. The Detroit that emerges from bankruptcy and restructuring will be considerably different than the city in 2013, let alone what it was half a century ago. Detroit’s case is extreme but not unique. It provides a cautionary tale about race, severe economic distress and weak governing arrangements for other cities.