It is precisely because of their economic weight that the cities attract the poor and dependent. The Welfare Class is the result of massive immigration from the South followed by the “Great Society”.
In case you are not aware it is the Blue states led by their big cities which provide the majority of the tax revenue for the states and the fed. This irony implies that should the Red states obtain enough power to actually downsize the fedgov, it will be them which suffers most since they receive more taxes than they pay. The other end of this is that the areas which pay the highest taxes are those least opposed to increased taxes. Of course, this is because of the Welfare Class attracted from the South has been organized by the Democrats.
Civilization means cities, that is where the word came from.
They are still the economic powerhouses that enrich their surrounding areas and states. Without Chicago Illinois would be destitute. You can see from the traffic patterns at rush hour where the economic power is coming from.
Cities have always been violent and uncontrollable to some extent that is part of the enormous energies they unleash. It is there that new ideas and industries come from. But no one denies that they have the Best and the Worst. Or that it is not very difficult to live in them.
You have the etymology of “civilization” somewhat reversed, with all due respect. In Latin, “civitas” did not refer to cities (the word thereof being “urbs”) but civil society as defined by law and order versus barbarity (anarchy and disorder).
The Welfare Class in the western states didn’t come primarily from the South and there were also black slaves owned in northern states in the early decades of the US.
You really need to learn something about the "Welfare Class" and where today's came from. They've come from all the Latino countries, the Caribbean, Puerto Rico and from many nations all around the world. It's hardly just a situation of the "Welfare Class attracted from the South.
Chicago is bankrupting Illinois.