The Nation City

Why Mayors Are Now Running the World

By: Rahm Emanuel

Narrated by: Rahm Emanuel, Johnathan McClain

Length: 7 hrs and 42 mins

Publisher's summary

At a time of anxiety about the effectiveness of our national government, Rahm Emanuel provides a clear vision, for both progressives and centrists, of how to get things done in America today - a bracing, optimistic vision of America's future from one of our most experienced and original political minds.

In The Nation City, Rahm Emanuel, former two-term mayor of Chicago and White House Chief of Staff for President Barack Obama, offers a firsthand account of how cities, rather than the federal government, stand at the center of innovation and effective governance. Drawing on his own experiences in Chicago, and on his relationships with other mayors around America, Emanuel provides dozens of examples to show how cities are improving education, infrastructure, job conditions, and environmental policy at a local level.

Emanuel argues that cities are the most ancient political institutions, dating back thousands of years, and have reemerged as the nation-states of our time. He makes clear how mayors are accountable to their voters to a greater degree than any other elected officials and illuminates how progressives and centrists alike can best accomplish their goals by focusing their energies on local politics. The Nation City maps out a new, energizing, and hopeful way forward.

©2020 Rahm Emanuel (P)2020 Random House Audio

Critic reviews

"Rahm Emanuel is a unique leader who combines a deep understanding of policy with the political skills to get things done. In The Nation City, he offers a new blueprint for making a progressive vision a reality - and shows why cities are increasingly America's laboratories of democracy." (President Bill Clinton, 42nd President of the United States)

"The Nation City surprised me⁠ - and in a good way. I had known of Rahm Emanuel as a practicing politician. This book shows how deeply he has thought and inquired into the next stage of governance, in the US and around the world. This is a clear, detailed, practical, and optimistic guide to the real center of political action. Mayors will want to read this book - and so should anyone looking for creative ideas about the local path to national renewal."⁠ (James Fallows, contributor to The Atlantic and co-author of Our Towns)

"Rahm's leadership as reflected in this book stimulates thought and encourages innovation among city leaders to move our cities from the industrial age to George Orwell's 'technocracy'. This is a must read for urban planners to view cities like Chicago, New York, and Los Angeles as the Roman-styled nation states. The Nation City gives you a lesson in how to manages these responsibilities and provides a blueprint for success." (The Reverend Jesse Jackson Sr., founder and president of the Rainbow PUSH Coalition)

Great overview of today’s local leaders

Rahm Emanuel’s book provides great insights into the way mayors are functioning during the critical time when our federal government is headed by such incompetent people.

Recommended for every American who wants to learn about effective local government leadership.

hopeful, uplifting, informative

I did the whole book in one go.
I learned a lot and also feel less hopeless and frustrated with the state of this country.
I had no idea what mayors are able to accomplish. I wish we could stop focusing on the negative so much and instead see the possibilities and positive actions taken. this book does just that.
thank you.

Read this.

It's the best medicine for all of us discouraged with the current state of national government. Informative, enlightening and enthralling.

Maybe we should rethink the tax struture

Rahm Emanuel was the two-term mayor of Chicago (2011-2019). The book is part a memoir, but mostly it is a sociological study.
The book is well written and researched. Emanuel claims that with the federal gridlock, the cities have had to step up and take on a greater role. The author also reveals some examples of mayors who are changing their communities. I found the book most interesting; I had no idea the federal government had backed out of so much of its normal role to cities and states. Emanuel shows how government on the local levels are overcoming problems and are leading the way. The book was well worth the read.

The book is seven hours forty-two minutes. Johnathan McClain does a good job narrating the book. McClain is a voice-over artist and has won several EarPhone Awards.

Every citizen should read or listen to this book.

The importance of Mayors in this nation is essential to how this country works. This is a must read and listen for all of this countries citizens. I loved working with the city of Chicago under Rahm, It was amazing to see Bloomberg steady NYC, I get to watch Garcetti work non stop for of us in Los Angeles and even my local Malibu Mayor Karen Farrer and Aspen mayor Torre are making a difference. Thank you for all the hard work. You all are leading at a time when we are without a leader.

Improvement at the local level

Very good. It illuminates how many local governments at the local levels, sharing their ideas and programs can improve their local areas with less help from the federal government.