Understanding Local Government Responses to Fiscal Pressure: a Cross National Analysis

1983 ◽  
Vol 3 (3) ◽  
pp. 245-263 ◽  
Author(s):  
Harold Wolman
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
United Kingdom ◽  
Local Government ◽  
Local Governments ◽  
The United States ◽  
Local Responses ◽  
The United Kingdom ◽  
Equilibrium Relationships ◽  
National Analysis ◽  
Fiscal Pressure

ABSTRACTFiscally pressured local governments face the same basic choices in both the United States and the United Kingdom: whether to increase locally raised revenues in order to maintain existing services or to reduce local services. The article first posits a model of local government decision-making in response to fiscal pressure drawn primarily from organizational and systems theory. Local governments are viewed as organizations concerned with maintaining their equilibrium relationships with their external environment (public employees and their unions). The model suggests a series of hypotheses about how local government will respond to fiscal pressure. Case studies of fiscally pressured local governments in both the United States and the United Kingdom are then utilized to describe actual local responses and to assess the usefulness of the model. The article concludes by setting forth a rough hierarchy of preferred local responses.

E-Democracy and Local Government - Dashed Expectations

2011 ◽  
pp. 448-454
Author(s):  
P. J. Smith
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
United Kingdom ◽  
Local Government ◽  
Local Governments ◽  
Local Level ◽  
The United States ◽  
Political Activity ◽  
Information And Communications Technologies ◽  
The United Kingdom ◽  
Electronic Democracy

This article examines the impact of information and communications technologies (ICTs) on electronic democracy at the local government level. It concentrates on measures taken by local governments in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom to transform their relationship to citizens by means of e-democracy. The emphasis on democracy is particularly important in an era when governments at all levels are said to be facing a democratic deficit (Hale, Musso, & Weare, 1999; Juillet & Paquet, 2001). Yet, as this article argues by means of an examination of the available evidence in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom, e-democracy has failed to deepen democracy at the local level, this at a time when local government is said to be becoming more important in people’s lives (Mälkiä & Savolainen, 2004). The first part of the article briefly summarizes the arguments on behalf of the growing importance of the city as a major locus of economic and political activity. It then discusses how e-democracy relates to e-government in general. Next, it discusses the normative relationship between two models of democracy and ICTs. The article then reviews the evidence to date of e-democracy at the local level of government in the aforementioned countries. Finally, it discusses why e-democracy has not lived up to expectations highlighting the dominance of neo-liberalism.

E-Democracy and Local Government - Dashed Expectations

2011 ◽  
pp. 1708-1717 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter J. Smith
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
United Kingdom ◽  
Local Government ◽  
Local Governments ◽  
Local Level ◽  
The United States ◽  
Political Activity ◽  
Information And Communications Technologies ◽  
The United Kingdom ◽  
Electronic Democracy

This article examines the impact of information and communications technologies (ICTs) on electronic democracy at the local government level. It concentrates on measures taken by local governments in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom to transform their relationship to citizens by means of e-democracy. The emphasis on democracy is particularly important in an era when governments at all levels are said to be facing a democratic deficit (Hale, Musso, & Weare, 1999; Juillet & Paquet, 2001). Yet, as this article argues by means of an examination of the available evidence in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom, e-democracy has failed to deepen democracy at the local level, this at a time when local government is said to be becoming more important in people’s lives (Mälkiä & Savolainen, 2004). The first part of the article briefly summarizes the arguments on behalf of the growing importance of the city as a major locus of economic and political activity. It then discusses how e-democracy relates to e-government in general. Next, it discusses the normative relationship between two models of democracy and ICTs. The article then reviews the evidence to date of e-democracy at the local level of government in the aforementioned countries. Finally, it discusses why e-democracy has not lived up to expectations highlighting the dominance of neo-liberalism.

A cross-national analysis of PhD models

2020 ◽  
Vol 22 (3) ◽  
pp. 233-245
Author(s):  
Yasmine Dominguez-Whitehead ◽  
Felix Maringe
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
South Africa ◽  
United Kingdom ◽  
The United States ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The United Kingdom ◽  
Supervision Models ◽  
Phd Supervision ◽  
National Analysis ◽  
Cross National

PurposeThis paper provides a cross-national analysis of PhD supervision models, milestones and examination procedures in order to compare PhD programs and their practices.Design/methodology/approachA comparative approach is employed, which systematically interrogates PhD supervision models, milestones and examination procedures in the United Kingdom, South Africa and the United States via a comprehensive review of the practices and literature.FindingsThe findings indicate the ramifications of the different approaches and highlight the benefits and drawbacks associated with the different models.Originality/valueBy making explicit the dominant supervision models, milestones and examination procedures that exist in the United Kingdom, South Africa and the United States, the authors shed light on the somewhat obscure path to earning a PhD degree.

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