Special-Purpose Authorities and the Public: Paths to Accountability and New Conceptions of Democracy.

The existing literature on special-purpose authorities argues that they are often unaccountable to voters and residents of cities. This paper tests this assumption by exploring new modes of accountability and democracy at the local level. Specifically, it considers varying paths to accountability at a special-purpose authority in Chicago and questions the degree to which this institution operates accountably to local citizens and other constituencies. The case, the Metropolitan Pier and Exposition Authority (MPEA), is typical of many authorities found in large cities throughout the U.S. and manages the city's convention center and an entertainment district. The paper uses content analysis of the population of newspaper coverage on the MPEA, MPEA press releases from 2004-2007, and interviews with MPEA officials and community group leaders, to analyze the multiple constituencies and accountability mechanisms at the MPEA. Findings presented suggest that the MPEA does not act accountably in a traditional, electoral sense, but is operating accountably to particular constituencies by utilizing public relations tactics as well as collaborative planning techniques. ..PAT.-Unpublished Manuscript [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]