A number of key insights about American cities are synthesized in this article, and a sorely neglected feature of them, their territorial sovereignty, is emphasized. The author argues first that cities must be seen as sovereign territorial systems. As such, cities engage in continuing struggles with other sovereign powers in America, including suburbs, states, and the federal government. The directions of many such systems derive from a dominant system of meaning - growth. Growth shapes the city, and once it impinges on the lives of citizens, it fosters their dissent. The author urges greater empirical attention to "thick histories" to refine the argument.
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