(Re)Imagining a Chicago Alderman

Recent critics have compared Chicago’s governmental structure to that of feudal Europe. The aldermanic role has received particular attention. Over the years, city-wide initiatives have been created to combat corruption, including corruption at the Aldermanic level. However, even when auditing programs succeeds to expose and prevent misuses of power throughout city government, the problems stemming from Chicago’s “extreme localism” remain.

Localism is neither inherently good or bad. Proponents will argue that local government offers a direct line of communication between elected officials, policy makers, and the public. Local governments are also well positioned to preform as the “glue” binding a community together.

Opponents of localism will argue that a prioritization of the local inhabitants’ wants may overlook holistic solutions. In this case, local prioritization may neglect win-win solutions for both local inhabitants and external parties. In the worst cases this may result in more harm than good to the local inhabitants over the long run.

On May 25th, I will ask you to reimagine the role and function of the Chicago Alderman. Including how this role might be handled within the proposed Chicago City Charter.