The microrelations of urban governance: dynamics of patronage and partnership

The classic urban ecological paradigm envisioned the articulation of the social organization of neighborhoods with that of the city as a whole. This article offers novel empirical evidence in support of this proposi- tion. We analyze the microrelations of governance across two key urban domains, politics and nonprofit organizations, and identify the district- based politician as a key actor linking neighborhood-based and citywide forms of social organization. Using data of contracts allocated by city council members to nonprofits in New York City, analysis of the social network system linking these two types of actors shows two distinct re- lational dynamics: a patronage dynamic characterized by exclusive and long-lasting relationships between a council member and his/her local constituency and a partnership dynamic characterized by citywide rela- tionships that are short-lived and fostered by organizational differentia- tion and embeddedness. Furthermore, politicians and nonprofits differ- ently accommodate the copresence of these two models of resource allocation.