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Jan 14, 2026
Disneyland Politics
How a Medium-Size City and Corporate Giant Coexist
Summary
When Walt Disney decided to build Disneyland in Anaheim, CA in the 1950s, the move presented a puzzle for Anaheim’s government: How would the city balance the interests of private investors against those of the citizenry when the two came into conflict?
Disneyland Politics: How a Medium-Size City and Corporate Giant Coexist (Temple UP, 2025) by Dr. Peter F. Burns, Dr. Matthew O. Thomas, and Max R. Bieganski is a cogent examination of this urban power struggle, which has been playing out for 70 years. The authors show how the city was initially bound to the Disneyland Imperative, which placed the theme park above everything else in the city, including other economic development projects. However, starting in the 1990s, citizens pushed back against the corporation and its supporters, wanting a more balanced public policy agenda and ultimately loosening the stranglehold Disneyland had over the city’s political order.
Recounting the history of Disney’s power in action and the tension between democratic governance and reliance on private investment, Disneyland Politics illustrates how those who pursue alternative agendas attempt to get their way, and how the fight for a more balanced public policy agenda has changed local power dynamics to be less favorable to Disneyland over time.
This interview was conducted by Dr. Miranda Melcher whose book focuses on post-conflict military integration, understanding treaty negotiation and implementation in civil war contexts, with qualitative analysis of the Angolan and Mozambican civil wars. You can find Miranda’s interviews on New Books with Miranda Melcher, wherever you get your podcasts.
Your Host
Miranda Melcher
Dr. Miranda Melcher (Ph.D. in Defense Studies from Kings College London) is the host of New Books with Miranda Melcher where she interviews authors on a wide range of books related to history and politics.
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