The political economy of capital cities / by Heike Mayer, Fritz Sager, David Kaufmann and Martin Warland.

The Political Economy of Capital Cities; Series Page; Title; Copyright; Contents; List of Figures; List of Tables; About the Authors; Preface; Acknowledgements; List of Abbreviations; 1 Introduction; Defining (Secondary) Capital Cities; Research Questions and Basic Tenets of this Book; Methodology; Synopsis of Chapters; Note; References; 2 Framework for Analyzing Secondary Capital Cities; Regional Innovation Systems in Capital Cities; Linking the Concept of RIS with Locational Policies; Note; References; 3 Setting the Scene; Insights from Traditional Capital City Research. Profiles of the Four Capital City RegionsThe Economies of the Four Capital City Regions; Features of the Knowledge-Based Capital City Economy; References; 4 The Economic Geography of Secondary Capital Cities; Public Procurement as a Driver of Secondary Capital Cities; Bridging the Public-Private Sector Gap; Regional Innovation Systems of Secondary Capital Cities --
a Holistic Perspective; Synthesis by Regions; References; 5 Locational Policies in Secondary Capital Cities; Innovation Policies; Attracting Money; Coordination; Asking for Money; Toward Explaining Locational Policies. Synthesis by RegionsReferences; 6 Conclusion: Deal with it --
Ten Recommendations to Ensure Secondary Capital Cities thrive; Implications for the Literature; Recommendations for Practitioners; References; Appendix; Index.

Capital cities that are not the dominant economic centres of their nations - so-called 'secondary capital cities' (SCCs) - tend to be overlooked in the fields of economic geography and political science. Yet, capital cities play an important role in shaping the political, economic, social and cultural identity of a nation. As the seat of power and decision-making, capital cities represent a nation's identity not only through their symbolic architecture but also through their economies and through the ways in which they position themselves in national urban networks. The Political Economy of Capital Cities aims to address this gap by presenting the dynamics that influence policy and economic development in four in-depth case studies examining the SCCs of Bern, Ottawa, The Hague and Washington, D.C. In contrast to traditional accounts of capital cities, this book conceptualizes the modern national capital as an innovation-driven economy influenced by national, local and regional actors. Nationally, overarching trends in the direction of outsourcing and tertiarization of the public-sector influence the fate of capital cities. Regional policymakers in all four of the highlighted cities leverage the presence of national government agencies and stimulate the economy by way of various locational policy strategies. While accounting for their secondary status, this book illustrates how capital-city actors such as firms, national, regional and local governments, policymakers and planning practitioners are keenly aware of the unique status of their city. The conclusion provides practical recommendations for policymakers in SCCs and highlights ways in which they can help to promote economic development."--Provided by publisher.

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