The existing literature on urban history focuses chiefly on the social aspects, while political and fiscal components of urban history have been almost completely ignored. This book addresses the important question of urban fiscal policy, giving the issue an historical and theoretical perspective with a strong empirical base. Applying social science methods to widely available -- but mostly neglected -- fiscal data, these respected contributors provide in-depth analyses of specific cities and cover a wide range of topics within urban finance. Their inter-related essays significantly advance understanding of the development of urban fiscal politics in America.