Contesting the Olympics in American Cities

“Arguably we are at a tipping point in the history of the Olympics and Contesting the Olympics in American Cities makes a major contribution to debates about the future of the Games and other sports mega-events.  Written by renowned experts in the field of the urban politics of mega-events, this will become a standard reference point for students, teachers, researchers and anyone interested in the recent past and future development of the Olympics.”

—Professor John Horne PhD, Waseda University, Tokyo, Japan

This book examines the changing nature of opposition to bidding for and hosting the Olympic Games in contemporary American cities. It explores and critiques the process by which cities bid for the Olympics in the current context of the International Olympic Committee’s changing bid requirements and from the social justice perspectives of Olympics opponents. Using detailed case studies of the Olympic bids in Chicago, Boston, and Los Angeles, it shows how opposition to bidding for and hosting the Olympics has changed dramatically in American cities.

Greg Andranovich is emeritus professor of political science at California State University, Los Angeles.

Matthew J. Burbank is a professor in the Department of Political Science at the University of Utah.