In the Edo Period, much of the city area was controlled by the Osaka machi-bugyō and by Kishiwada Domain.

After the Meiji restoration, the town of Kaizuka established within Minami District with the creation of the modern municipalities system on April 1, 1889, along with the villages of Asogou, Shima, Kijima and Nishi-Katsuragi.

Kaizuka has a mayor-council form of government with a directly elected mayor and a unicameral city council of 18 members.

In terms of national politics, the city is part of Osaka 19th district of the lower house of the Diet of Japan.

The city economy is a mixture of industrial (textiles, steel wire and rope) and agriculture (onions, eggplant).

Taking advantage of the city's proximity to Kansai International Airport, the Nishikinohama Industrial Park was constructed by reclaiming the offshore area of on the right bank of the mouth of the Kogi River.