The merits and drawbacks of different kinds of political structures are frequently debated and much less frequently subjected to empirical tests. In this article we explore some hypotheses concerning the effects of nonpartisanship and at-large elections on the income and education levels of those elected to city councils. Using a nationwide data base of nearly 1000 council members, we find that our hypotheses concerning the impacts of the "reform" institutions are confirmed to a modest extent.
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