| From the onset of the Home Rule Charter in 1973, the Office of the Mayor was given the responsibility for effective leadership, most specifically in the key areas of fiscal responsibility and community support. Each mayor throughout Washington, DC's political history has faced a different political environment upon taking office, and each mayor's leadership style has had an impact-positively and negatively on administrative success. This study, using substantive research in the area of political leadership, presents a conceptual model for the "ideal type" of mayoral leadership (ITML) necessary to be effective as mayor in Washington, DC. Additionally, a case study analysis is performed on former Mayor Anthony Williams' administration (1998-2006) utilizing the ITML Model to assess how closely Williams' leadership aligns with the "ideal type".;The first purpose of this research is to provide an analytical tool for effective mayoral leadership that will be appropriate for the unique characteristics of Washington, DC, which may also be applicable to other jurisdictions that have similar issues. A secondary purpose is to address the gap in academic analysis with a specific focus on political leadership at the mayoral level. It can be hypothesized that the performance of a scientific study with a specific focus on the issue of mayoral leadership within Washington, DC will increase the probability of effective mayoral leadership in the future. |
