Embedded Files
An Interview with Woodson Carpenter copy.mp4
The American government is a complex machine. Its specific functions are varied, but since the beginning it has endeavored to serve a single, albeit broad, purpose: to improve the quality of life. In an article titled "Power and Authority" from Howard Community College, power (in the context of sociology) is described as “The ability to have one’s will carried out despite the resistance of others.” Having power is what enables individuals to actually change the outcome of things. Within the employees of Chattanooga’s government specifically, this can look like a distinct hierarchy - with some levels having power shared equally across groups.
Like many cities in this region of America, Indigenous people were the first to occupy the land. Chattanooga is specifically important because it’s one of the many sites of the “Trail of Tears”, the forced removal of Native Americans to land west of the Mississippi River. During this time, the city was also used by the U.S army as an internment camp, located at Ross’s Landing. The site grew and was granted a charter from the state in 1839. A state charter is basically the state government saying that a city has the authority to create their own local government. This allows for the city to elect officials and make certain decisions for itself, so long as they don’t contradict the existing state and national laws.
From there, a local government is formed. Chattanooga operates in a strong mayor-council system, meaning that an elected head, the mayor, has power to appoint and dismiss department heads, while a city council acts as a legislative body. A budget is usually proposed by the mayor’s administrative staff and the council approves it. The mayor also has the authority to veto council votes; conversely, the council can override that veto. This structure is common in North American cities - with the strong mayor form being found mostly in larger cities, as opposed to the weak mayor system in smaller ones. Most of the other cities in Hamilton county operate under the weak mayor system.
From Chattamatters
An important distinction to make is between the city and county governments. The city of Chattanooga is a smaller portion within Hamilton County and in turn, the county is a smaller piece within the state of Tennessee. The county acts as an avenue for the state’s laws to be enforced and administered. Hamilton County operates under a mayor-commission system; meaning in addition to the city’s mayor and council, there are commissioners for each district. These commissioners have various responsibilities.
Interactions between city and county government typically revolve around economic development. In Chattanooga, this has looked like the new stadium being built at a former industrial site near the river. The development has received much pushback, with the surrounding neighborhoods feeling like they didn’t get a say in what was being built. This shows a need for better communication between not only the city and county, but also between both levels of government and the actual people living in areas that might start to see some development.
Since the city of Chattanooga received the charter from the state, the city gets to establish certain laws called local ordinances - as long as they comply with state laws. Because of this, the interaction with citizens is more direct. An article titled "County and City Government" from Pressbooks online says, “Not only do they affect citizens directly; it is also easier for citizens to interact with local government officials because their offices and the community’s school board or city council meetings are often close by.” Still some people have more access to the government than others. When meetings are in the middle of a work day, it can be difficult for people to attend.
As previously stated, the mayor is the executive head of a city government. In Section 8.28 of the Chattanooga, Tennessee - Code of Ordinances , it says, “The mayor shall be authorized to administer oaths and shall supervise and control all of the divisions of the city, except as otherwise provided, and shall see that the ordinances of the City and the provisions of the Charter are observed.” The mayor oversees these “divisions of the city”, which include: utilities, libraries, police and fire departments, public transit, parks and recreation, and much more. These responsibilities and allowances of the mayor represent a few different types of formal power. Institutional power gives a person certain authority because of their position within an institution, typically involving a degree of influence; veto power allows the person to overrule decisions; convening power allows the person to influence an agenda by bringing other groups together ("Eight Types of Power City Leaders Can Use When Negotiating").
The city council is composed of nine people, each representing a different district in the city of Chattanooga. They usually work closely with neighborhood associations and other representative groups of that nature. A majority vote is required for an ordinance to pass through - and the mayor has veto power. Even with this important representative and legislative responsibility, council members get paid less than 30k a year. In Section 8.12 of the Chattanooga, Tennessee - Code of Ordinances, it states, “Members of the council shall be paid fifteen percent (15%) of the mayor’s salary.” This can’t be sustainable for people who are making decisions about the lives of Chattanoogans. Still, they fulfill their responsibility of representing a district with a few thousand people each.
Other Avenues of Power
While America is formally governed by bodies of political power, there are theories that argue for other ways of gaining influence. Pluralist theory looks at the power built by groups of people with a similar interest. This can look like unions, faith organizations, and other advocacy groups. Sometimes they can build enough power to influence the decisions made in official governing bodies. Elite theory counters pluralist theory and observes the power concentrated in very few higher ups. These people may have gained power through the traditional political route or through immense wealth. The truth is that this country is made up of a variety of both theories.
Because of America’s capitalist structure, power is linked to the amount of money someone has. And because most women and people of color were barred from building generational wealth early on, the wealthy and powerful tend to be white men. Rich CEOs of large corporations can pay or fund the campaigns of legislators - and in turn, they vote on policies that accumulate more wealth around the elites. For example, data from Tennessee Legislative Report Card show that Senator Bo Watson has been given $18,500 by Amazon. On the surface, this might just seem like another company contributing to a candidate. Except those contributions often turn into the senator voting against policies that will take money away from Amazon and give it to things like ‘universal pre-k’ instead. America’s deep-seeded capitalist system only encourages a consumerist and individualistic mindset among its inhabitants.
Pluralist and elitist theories help people understand the way power flows and what they can do to build towards a more equitable reality. But it doesn’t come without its share of assumptions. Pluralist theory assumes that a nation is made up of a chaotic myriad of opposing views and the only way to effectively represent everyone is to form groups of people working towards a similar interest. It also views each group as equally influential and the government as entirely neutral in all matters. This is not true, as some groups may be more powerful than others and the government simply cannot be completely neutral all the time.
The American government is intricate - and it likely always will be. It’s easy for students’ voices to slip through the cracks. That’s why it’s important for young people to take the time to understand the distribution of power and how decisions are made locally. Go to city council and school board meetings, speak at them, email senators and representatives, talk with your neighbors. Every little thing is a meaningful contribution to the future.
“When I dare to be powerful, to use my strength in the service of my vision, then it becomes less and less important whether I am afraid.” - Audre Lorde
Page updated
Report abuse