What happened in Florida? A follow-up and implications of Florida's dissolution of the RCID
Abstract:
<p>The Reedy Creek Improvement District (RCID) has dissolved. On the one hand, Disney’s private government in central Florida is (officially) no more. On the other hand, the new Central Florida Tourism Oversight District board, put into place by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis’ administration, highlights the dynamics that occur when an entity with significant economic and political power is perceived as a threat to an authoritarian regime. In this case, it became an opportunity for a potential US Presidential candidate to gain political power by taking on one of the largest transnational corporations in the world (UNCTAD 2022).</p><p>This case study reinforces the detrimental sociopolitical impacts that occur when governments are corporately captured – and looks at the implications when a localized government tries to take control of a localized corporate site that happens to also be the most visited tourist site in the world.</p><p>This presentation follows up on the policy relationships that led to Disney being granted its governmental status in 1965 by the Florida legislature, how and why this recently changed and the RCID was dissolved, and further connect this with the wave of rapid authoritarian expansion in the US.</p>
Keywords: Political geography, Reedy Creek Improvement District, Florida
Authors:
Kris Bezdecny, Cal State LA; Submitting Author / Primary Presenter