A presidential campaign is under way and the themes are familiar: terrorism and taxes, the size of government, the role of faith. Even with 24-hour news channels competing to cover the horse race, some issues get overlooked. America’s cities are one of them.

From Harry Truman to Barack Obama, from immigration and industrial policy in Detroit to housing and environmental programs in New Orleans, from the rise of crime in Oakland to the strains on transit in New York, the articles in this issue look at how cities have fared in recent presidential races, and the federal policy issues that face America’s cities today.