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Democracy in Peril: What to Do When Elected Officials Haven’t, Won’t, or Can’t  


Author:  Marti Kopacz.; Melissa B. Jacoby.; Angel Taveras.; Frank J. Bailey.


Source: Volume 37, Number 04, Winter 2017 , pp.21-38(18)




Municipal Finance Journal

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Abstract: 

Municipal distress presents some heady questions about what democracy really means when cities and states become unable to provide essential services and meet financial obligations. This article explores questions about the role of a bankruptcy judge in Chapter 9 to displace elected officials, the federal government’s responsibility (or not) in Puerto Rico, and when states intervene in local government.

Keywords: Municipal distress, Chapter 9, Providence, RI, bankruptcy, Detroit

Affiliations:  1: Phoenix Management Services LLC; 2: University of North Carolina School of Law; 3: Greenberg Taurig, LLP; 4: United States Bankruptcy Judge, Massachusetts District.

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