Raj Desai surveyed some theoretical foundations for understanding the political-economy of urban poverty before examining several pathologies of political life for the urban poor in the developing world. He focused on some aspects of the city-dweller’s political agency—or the lack thereof—that limit the ability of the urban poor to engage in collective action, to participate in decision making, to form effective organizations, and to resist predatory behaviour by officialdom. He then examined some areas where further research is needed, including the political-economic bases for mobilization, the prospects for pro-poor urban social policy, conditions determining the effectiveness of delegation, and of membership organizations for the urban poor.