Despite what you might see on TV or in movies, the Mayor does not create laws – the New York City Council does. But this begs the question: what specifically does the City Council do? In this video, I break down the basics of what New York City’s singular legislative body does, and how it operates in a broader context.

Citations:

• Kivelson, Adrienne. What Makes New York City Run?: A Citizen’s Guide to How City Government Works. 4th ed., League of Women Voters of the City of New York Education Fund, 2019.
• Berg, Bruce F. New York City Politics: Governing Gotham. Rutgers University Press, 2018.
• Leadon, Fran. Broadway: A History of New York City in Thirteen Miles. W.W. Norton & Company, 2020.
• Wikimedia Commons. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:US_Democratic_Party_Logo.svg
• iSpot.tv. (Jan 8, 2022). “DraftKings Sportsbook TV Spot, ‘New York Law: Small Talk’.” https://www.ispot.tv/ad/qmid/draftkings-sportsbook-new-york-law-small-talk
• Wikimedia Commons. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_York_City_Council#/media/File:New_York_City_Council_Districts.svg
• “The Simpsons, Marge vs. the Monorail.” Created by Matt Groening, season 4, episode 12, 14 Jan. 1993.
• Wikimedia Commons. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:New_York_City_community_districts.svg
• Lucas, George, director. Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith. 19 May 2005.
• Wikimedia Commons. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:AlbanyCapitolFromEast2.JPG
• Staten Island Borough President. “Important Numbers.” https://www.statenislandusa.com/important-numbers.html
• Wikimedia Commons. https://www.newsday.com/news/new-york/nyc-council-votes-40-7-to-raise-members-pay-to-148-500-y93197
• McFadden, Robert D. (Mar 5, 1994). “‘Home Rule’ Factor May Block S.I. Secession.” New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/1994/03/05/nyregion/home-rule-factor-may-block-si-secession.html
• Wikimedia Commons. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:New_York_City_Board_of_Elections_Seal.png
• New York City Council. “What we do.” https://council.nyc.gov/about/
• Wikimedia Commons. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Seal_of_Borough_of_the_Bronx.svg
• American Planning Association. “New York City Department of City Planning.” https://www.planning.org/cm/provider/88903/details/
• Wikimedia Commons. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Arby%27s_logo.svg
• Dyckman Farmhouse Museum Alliance. “Talking About Race Matters.” https://dyckmanfarmhouse.org/talking-about-race-matters/
• Wikimedia Commons. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:MTA_NYC_logo.svg
• Brooklyn Borough President. https://www.brooklyn-usa.org
• Wikimedia Commons. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Olive_Garden_Logo.svg
• Queens Borough President. https://queensbp.org
• Smith, Rachel. (Dec 8, 2021). “How New York Will Find Its Next City Council Speaker.” The City. https://www.thecity.nyc/civic-newsroom/2021/12/8/22819056/how-new-york-will-find-its-next-city-council-speaker
• Wikimedia Commons. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Papa_Johns_logo.svg
• Audio: “Rollin with the Flow” by Max McFerren