The present research was an analysis of cities as social systems, using data for the 148 SMSA's of 200,000 or larger population in 1970. It examines the relationship among variables representative of several theoretical concepts, which are system size, productive output, complexity, growth, level of energy and system investment in regulatory and maintenance functions. Variables representing the first five concepts were considered independent variables: city size, functional specialization, occupational and racial diversity, population growth and median income. Variables representing the last two concepts were considered dependent variables: city expenditures on such regulatory functions as fire and police protection, and such maintenance functions as education, welfare and health. / The hypothesis tested was that the independent variables would demonstrate a hierarchic pattern in their unique ability to explain variation in cities' expenditures for both regulatory and maintenance activities. From most powerful to least powerful the order of the independent variables was predicted to be: city size; functional specialization; level of energy characteristic of the system, as measured by median income; system complexity, as measured by racial and occupational diversity; and population growth or decline. To determine the relative contributions of each independent variable in explaining variation in the dependent variables, the analysis relied on a multiple regression procedure which isolates the unique explanatory power of each variable. The patterns observed among the independent variables were summarized and compared by describing them with appropriate path models. / Four findings were of particular interest: first, city size, traditionally regarded as a highly important variable, demonstrated little unique ability to explain variation in maintenance expenditures; second, of all types of functional specialization only the degree of specialization in metropolitan functions (financial, diversified trade and service functions) showed significant ability to explain variation in either regulatory or maintenance expenditures; third, while city size and degree of specialization in metropolitan functions were most important in determining regulatory expenditures, system complexity in terms of occupational and racial diversity was most important in determining maintenance expenditures; fourth, population growth or decline was unimportant in unique contribution to any measures of regulatory or maintenance expenditures. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 43-06, Section: A, page: 2126. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1982.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:fsu.edu/oai:fsu.digital.flvc.org:fsu_74847 |
| Contributors | O'NEALL, LINDA REAMS., Florida State University |
| Source Sets | Florida State University |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Text |
| Format | 250 p. |
| Rights | On campus use only. |
| Relation | Dissertation Abstracts International |
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