A Network Autonomy Framework: Reconceptualizing Special District Autonomy in Polycentric Systems

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert A Greer ◽  
Tyler A Scott
Keyword(s):  
Local Governments ◽  
Local Governance ◽  
Metropolitan Region ◽  
Policy Outcomes ◽  
Local Policy ◽  
Relational Dynamics ◽  
Critical Determinant ◽  
Special Districts ◽  
Governance Systems ◽  
Special District

Abstract The widespread proliferation of special districts and their role in producing and delivering public goods and services has been well documented. Each new entity further fragments government authority, and thus their autonomy is a critical determinant of how local governance systems function. Existing theories of special district autonomy emphasize formal institutional attributes such as election structure and state restrictions. We argue that this approach does not fully incorporate how relational dynamics such as functional interdependence, interest alignment, and social capital affect how special districts fit within regional polycentric governance systems. We propose a Network Autonomy Framework for local governments that focuses on relational dynamics between co-located1 governments and demonstrate an example of how this framework can be applied to a metropolitan region. By understanding how co-located governments relate to one another, we can gain a deeper understanding of special districts’ role in local governance systems and advance propositions as to how they will affect a variety of local policy outcomes.

Local Government and Governance in Mexico

2016 ◽  
pp. 323-348
Author(s):  
Francisco Javier Porras-Sanchez
Keyword(s):  
Local Government ◽  
Local Governments ◽  
Public Services ◽  
Local Governance ◽  
Constitutional Amendment ◽  
Local Policy ◽  
Recent Developments ◽  
Local Actors

After the 1983 constitutional amendment, which devolved public services to local governments, Mexican municipalities have been studied extensively. Much of this literature has focused on the consolidation of local policy sectors, professionalisation, and administrative innovation. These matters share a concern on self-government, traditionally considered as the constitutional ideal for the municipality. More recent developments, however, have focused on the growth of citizens' and inter-organisational networks, and over its influence in the production of horizontal interactions amongst local actors. Although the evidence suggests that these networks are mostly subordinated to governability objectives, a certain shift from government to governance can be argued. This chapter proposes that both approaches, the traditional government one and the governance one, are necessary in order to understand the multiplicity of municipal conditions in Mexico. This is especially relevant for generating differentiated accounts of local governance with a reach beyond the usual legal definitions.

Policy Maps of City Councils and Policy Outcomes: A Developmental Analysis

1968 ◽  
Vol 62 (1) ◽  
pp. 124-143 ◽  
Author(s):  
Heinz Eulau ◽  
Robert Eyestone
Keyword(s):  
Policy Development ◽  
Local Governments ◽  
Public Policies ◽  
Urban Sociology ◽  
Metropolitan Region ◽  
Space Distribution ◽  
Policy Outcomes ◽  
Environmental Pressures ◽  
Life Styles ◽  
The Common

In spite of common challenges stemming from the common environment shared by all cities in a metropolitan region, continued and even increasing social and economic differentiation among and within cities rather than ho-mogenization and integration are the most significant features of the contemporary metropolitan scene.1 Cities within the same metropolitan region are not only maintaining but also developing distinct and unique “public life styles.” Urban sociology and urban geography have raised a multitude of questions and given a multitude of answers in seeking to account for the fact that cities facing basically similar challenges from the environment react so differently to these challenges. Most relevant research deals with the problem of differentiation and its effects on the development of cities in terms of historical settlement patterns, economic location and growth, or geographical space distribution.3But differences in municipal life styles may also be the result of differences in public policies deliberately pursued by local governments in the metropolitan area. If this is so, the common pressures from the environment are evidently interpreted differently in the process of public decision-making that seeks to cope with them. It would seem, then, that metropolitan cities are in different stages of policy development. Leaving aside momentarily the meaning of “stages of policy development,” we can ask a number of questions that may shed light on the relationship between environmental pressures and public policies designed to meet these pressures.

scholarly journals District Reliance by Service Function: A Study of Public Financing of American Special Districts

2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 10-28
Author(s):  
HyungGun Park ◽  
Yu Shi
Keyword(s):  
Local Governments ◽  
Temporal Trends ◽  
General Purpose ◽  
Service Function ◽  
Special Districts ◽  
Geographical Patterns ◽  
Financing Mode ◽  
Revenue Sources ◽  
Exploratory Investigation ◽  
Special District

Over the past several decades, special districts have proliferated and become the most rapidly growing type of local governments in the U.S. This study provides an exploratory investigation of special district finance reliance from two aspects, including expenditure reliance of general–purpose governments on special districts’ service delivery and financing mode of special districts. Using financial data collected from the Bureau of Census, this study provides detailed descriptive analyses on temporal trends and geographical patterns of expenditure reliance and revenue financing mode for four service functions. From the perspective of expenditure reliance, this study shows that special districts have replaced the role of general–purpose governments. In terms of revenue modes, special districts tend to rely on user fees, equating payers and beneficiaries of services. Moreover, this study shows that on which revenue sources the districts rely the most vary by service function and geography.

scholarly journals Philanthropic Foundations and Local Policy Making in the Austerity Era: Does Urban Governance Matter?

2016 ◽  
Vol 14 (4) ◽  
pp. 917-935 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stefania Ravazzi
Keyword(s):  
Comparative Analysis ◽  
Local Governments ◽  
Policy Making ◽  
Local Governance ◽  
Local Policy ◽  
Philanthropic Foundations ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Philanthropic Organizations ◽  
Private Actors ◽  
The Impact

Over the last decades, European cities have been facing serious constraints. In particular, decreasing transfers from central governments, the introduction of domestic ‘Stability pacts’ and the economic crisis have significantly challenged the capacity of local governments to address societal issues. Within this context, local governments have tried to find new ways by establishing collaborations with a wide range of private actors, including non-profit organizations and the civil society as a whole. Among these private actors, big philanthropic organizations are gaining prominence, acting as public policy supporters and policy makers. In particular, those philanthropic organizations, which focus the operating activity on single communities, are emerging as potential key actors in local governance, thanks to their capacity to concentrate resourses and efforts in specific and limited territories. For this new emerging role, a recent debate on their impact on local policy making has raised in the last years. This paper aims at presenting the findings of a comparative analysis on the impact that some of the world’s biggest philanthropic organizations have produced in two Italian urban contexts. In particular, the comparative analysis of these two cases had the aim of testing a major thesis: the impact of philanthropic foundations on local policy making varies in relation to the consolidated mode of governance within which they operate.

Local Government and Governance in Mexico

2020 ◽  
pp. 1508-1533
Author(s):  
Francisco Javier Porras-Sanchez
Keyword(s):  
Local Government ◽  
Local Governments ◽  
Public Services ◽  
Local Governance ◽  
Constitutional Amendment ◽  
Local Policy ◽  
Recent Developments ◽  
Local Actors

After the 1983 constitutional amendment, which devolved public services to local governments, Mexican municipalities have been studied extensively. Much of this literature has focused on the consolidation of local policy sectors, professionalisation, and administrative innovation. These matters share a concern on self-government, traditionally considered as the constitutional ideal for the municipality. More recent developments, however, have focused on the growth of citizens' and inter-organisational networks, and over its influence in the production of horizontal interactions amongst local actors. Although the evidence suggests that these networks are mostly subordinated to governability objectives, a certain shift from government to governance can be argued. This chapter proposes that both approaches, the traditional government one and the governance one, are necessary in order to understand the multiplicity of municipal conditions in Mexico. This is especially relevant for generating differentiated accounts of local governance with a reach beyond the usual legal definitions.

scholarly journals Horizontal Local Governance and Social Inclusion: The Case of Municipality-Civil Society Engagement During Refugee Reception in Malmö, Sweden

2021 ◽  
Vol 3 ◽  
Author(s):  
Claudia Fry ◽  
Mine Islar
Keyword(s):  
Civil Society ◽  
Local Governments ◽  
Social Inclusion ◽  
Local Governance ◽  
Local Level ◽  
Collaborative Governance ◽  
Social Dimension ◽  
Refugee Crisis ◽  
Local Policy ◽  
Social Resilience

This study takes its departure from literature on the far-reaching engagements from civil society during the 2015 “refugee crisis” in Europe as it seeks to understand the status of collaborative governance at the local level. It takes an in-depth look of Malmö, a city in Sweden which in 2015 became the centre for the Swedish refugee reception and solidarity initiatives. The study identifies challenges and opportunities of horizontal collaborations to develop the social dimension of city resilience. It includes eleven interviews with key actors from the civil society sector as well as from the municipality and utilizes theory on solidarities in the “refugee crisis” together with social cohesion and inclusion as a framework for analyzing data. This allows for a comprehensive appraisal of the (spatially produced) responses to migration from the city's horizontal alliances. The findings suggest that there are diverse conclusions to be made about the long-term potential of horizontal collaborations in bringing about social resilience. On the one side it is discovered that short-term project collaborations may only serve to “fill the gap” left by neo-liberal local governments and not bring about the structural change needed. On the other side, it is found that horizontal collaborations can be a strategy for civil society actors to influence more inclusive alternatives by bringing the realities of refugees into local policy making, particularly those refugees otherwise rendered invisible due to legal categorizations. Lastly, there are suggestions made for how to enhance the opportunities of horizontal collaborations in creating a socially cohesive, inclusive and resilient city.

Local Elections and the Politics of Small-Scale Democracy

2012 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Eric Oliver ◽  
Shang E. Ha ◽  
Zachary Callen
Keyword(s):  
Voter Turnout ◽  
Local Governments ◽  
Voting Behavior ◽  
Local Governance ◽  
Electoral Politics ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Local Elections ◽  
Daily Lives ◽  
Personal Connections ◽  
Community Ties

Local government is the hidden leviathan of American politics: it accounts for nearly a tenth of gross domestic product, it collects nearly as much in taxes as the federal government, and its decisions have an enormous impact on Americans' daily lives. Yet political scientists have few explanations for how people vote in local elections, particularly in the smaller cities, towns, and suburbs where most Americans live. Drawing on a wide variety of data sources and case studies, this book offers the first comprehensive analysis of electoral politics in America's municipalities. Arguing that current explanations of voting behavior are ill suited for most local contests, the book puts forward a new theory that highlights the crucial differences between local, state, and national democracies. Being small in size, limited in power, and largely unbiased in distributing their resources, local governments are “managerial democracies” with a distinct style of electoral politics. Instead of hinging on the partisanship, ideology, and group appeals that define national and state elections, local elections are based on the custodial performance of civic-oriented leaders and on their personal connections to voters with similarly deep community ties. Explaining not only the dynamics of local elections, Oliver's findings also upend many long-held assumptions about community power and local governance, including the importance of voter turnout and the possibilities for grassroots political change.

Legal and regulative foundation of securing the development of consolidated territorial communities in conditions of decentralization

2019 ◽  
pp. 16-19
Author(s):  
Oryslava Korkuna ◽  
Ivan Korkuna ◽  
Oleh Tsilnyk
Keyword(s):  
Development Strategy ◽  
Local Governments ◽  
Local Governance ◽  
Legal Regulation ◽  
Major Elements ◽  
The Development Strategy ◽  
Social Entity ◽  
European Standards ◽  
Definition Of ◽  
State Regional

Development of a territorial community requires efficient use of its capacity taking into account all possible aspects in the course of elaboration and implementation of the development strategy and other local legal and regulative documents. The approach is directly related to maintaining the living activity of a territorial community and should correspond to the interests of population and European standards of state regional policy. In addition to the definition of a community provided by the Law of Ukraine “On Local Governance in Ukraine”, there are also some other. For example, some authors understand territorial community as a single natural and social entity that operates in spatial boundaries of a state and realizes daily needs and interests of population. The paper aims to analyze legal and regulative foundation of the development of territorial communities in conditions of decentralization. The authors analyze current condition of legal and regulative maintenance of local governance reforming in Ukraine in conditions of decentralization of authorities. The paper argues that the major elements of management strategy in CTCs in Ukraine are independence, efficiency, management innovations, quicker and more substantiated decision-making and everything to meet the needs of community’s residents. Management of this sector is grounded on the principles of the provisions of European Charter of Local Self-Government that provides for decentralization of authorities and transfer of resources and responsibilities to local governments. Liabilities of local governments (of consolidated territorial communities) and the mayors are analyzed. The authors prove that in general legal provision of decentralization of local governance corresponds to European requirements and creates reliable ground for practical stage of the reform. The list of issues that require further legal regulation is outlined.

Concept and components of the financial-investment maintenance of local governance

2020 ◽  
pp. 100-112
Author(s):  
Zenoviy Siryk
Keyword(s):  
Social Services ◽  
Local Governments ◽  
Local Governance ◽  
Local Level ◽  
National Standards ◽  
Investment Policy ◽  
Financial Resources ◽  
Financial Investment ◽  
Balanced Development ◽  
And Function

The issues related to the management of financial resources of territorial communities, financial independence of local governments and forming of efficient financial-investment policy to secure the balanced development of local communities and territories become of utmost importance in conditions of financial decentralization and administrative-territorial reform in Ukraine. The problem issues concerning the forming of financial-investment maintenance of local governance directly impact the capacity of a territorial community that should have financial, material, and other resources in the volumes sufficient to completely accomplish the tasks and function of local governments and provide social services to the population at the level stipulated by national standards. The forming of financial-investment maintenance of local governance is revealed to be directly influencing the capacity of a territorial community that should have financial, material, and other resources in the volumes sufficient to completely accomplish the tasks and function of local governments and provide social services to the population. The expansion of local governments’ competences and granting them greater independence are substantiated to be requiring more responsibility in the financial-investment policy implementation on the local level, forming of conditions to perform the economic activity, and develop businesses by all economic entities, and promoting favorable investment climate in the region. Based on the analysis of approaches to the definition of the nature of “financial maintenance” and “investment maintenance” in the context of the peculiarities of local governments’ activity, the paper suggests understanding the “financial-investment maintenance of local governance” as a set of opportunities and activities on distribution and use of financial resources and territories’ resources for the creation of conditions necessary for the efficient functioning of local governments and realization of their competences.

scholarly journals A Review of Port Initiatives to Promote Freight Modal Shifts in Europe: Evidence from Port Governance Systems

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (11) ◽  
pp. 5907
Author(s):  
Marta Gonzalez-Aregall ◽  
Kevin Cullinane ◽  
Inge Vierth
Keyword(s):  
The Netherlands ◽  
Local Governments ◽  
Freight Transportation ◽  
Intermodal Transportation ◽  
Modal Shift ◽  
Comprehensive Review ◽  
Port Authorities ◽  
Governance Systems ◽  
Northern Regions

This study analyses how port governance systems in Europe have influenced the implementation of port initiatives focused on promoting modal shifts in freight transportation. Through a comprehensive review of port strategies, this research identified 49 individual modal shift initiatives among 21 port authorities in Europe. The results show that ports located in the Northern regions and managed by local governments, particularly in Belgium and the Netherlands, are leaders in executing strategies for modal shifts in freight transportation. Technological solutions and promoting intermodal transportation were found to be the most popular initiatives used to promote hinterland movements of freight by rail and waterborne transportation.

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