{
  "id": 3713825,
  "title": "How do you rebuild trust in the government? One pothole at a time.",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/27/how-do-you-rebuild-trust-in-the-government-one-pothole-at-a-time",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-08-27T10:00:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Vox",
    "slug": "vox",
    "url": "https://www.vox.com/future-perfect/500652/zohran-mamdani-pothole-politics"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The recent trend of \"symbolic urbanism\" is gaining traction in New York City, particularly in the summer heat, as potholes are being addressed and filled. Mayor Zohran Mamdani, known for his popular and seemingly light-hearted approach, has made it a point to personally fill potholes, earning him praise and a boost in public approval ratings. According to a recent Siena Research Institute poll, 69% of New Yorkers view Mamdani favorably, surpassing any other NYC mayor in recent decades.\n\nProfessor Don Moynihan of the University of Michigan explains that people are yearning for competence and relish in the small victories of municipal services. This sentiment is echoed nationwide, with studies indicating that Chicagoans feel less satisfied with their lives if their city takes longer to fix potholes, and Bostonians become 14% more trusting of their government when responsive to such issues.\n\nWhile Mamdani's focus on small, symbolic projects like pothole repairs has been successful, Professor Justin de Benedictis-Kessner of Harvard warns that it may not translate to more challenging issues like zoning reforms or tax hikes. He suggests that these more difficult policies could be more challenging to swallow for constituents.\n\nThe mayor's approach is not unique. Milwaukee, in the early 20th century, saw a wave of socialist mayors who focused on small-scale engineering projects, earning the derogatory nickname \"sewer socialists.\" These leaders understood that tangible, low-hanging fruit like improved infrastructure could build a coalition and demonstrate government competence.",
  "summary": "“If this is democratic socialism,” wrote one New Yorker under a mayoral Facebook post, “maybe it is the change we need.” She was referring neither to Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s heavily scrutinized plan for city-run grocery stores, nor to his pied-à-terre tax on the rich, nor even to his trademark — though thus far, unrealized — […]",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}