A new study reveals the downsides of running a city
By Mike Maciag | Governing magazine
Demeaning comments, harassment and—less commonly—threats of violence all come with the job of being a mayor.
A new national survey assesses how frequently mayors experience various forms of abuse. The survey, the basis of a study published in the journal State and Local Government Review, finds that most mayors contend with verbal hostility or physical intimidation at rates above those of the general workforce.
SOURCE: “Not for the Faint of Heart: Assessing Physical Violence and Psychological Abuse Against U.S. Mayors,” State and Local Government Review
In all, 79 percent of mayors reported at least one form of “psychological abuse,” which the survey defined to include harassment, being demeaned or receiving threats. Disrespectful comments or images on social media were by far the most frequent means of abuse. Nearly half of mayors similarly experienced harassment, while 13 percent reported threats of violence directed toward them. “You see this as a widespread phenomenon,” says Sue Thomas, a researcher at the Pacific Institute for Research and Evaluation, who co-authored the study. Few in the position, she says, are spared.
