County and Township Government in 1940

1941 ◽  
Vol 35 (6) ◽  
pp. 1106-1119
Author(s):  
Clyde F. Snider
Keyword(s):  
Local Government ◽  
Intergovernmental Relations ◽  
State Legislatures ◽  
National Defense ◽  
Public Attention ◽  
International Stress ◽  
Popular Interest ◽  
Rural Institutions ◽  
Township Government ◽  
Marking Time

In times of national or international stress, public attention tends to become focused upon spectacular events transpiring in the nation's capital or chief cities, with little interest displayed in the more prosaic affairs of rural local government. As a consequence, normal progress in rural institutions and activities is likely to be retarded. During 1940, with but few state legislatures in session and popular interest diverted to other fields, little that was distinctly novel occurred in the field of American county and township government. The rural units seemed, in a sense, to be marking time while the national government, and, to a lesser degree, states and cities, concentrated upon various phases of the national defense program. Yet certain developments took place during the year which, if not extraordinary, were nevertheless significant. As in former years, events will be summarized under the following headings: (1) areas; (2) organization and personnel; (3) functions; (4) finance; (5) optional charters; and (6) intergovernmental relations.

County and Township Government in 1941

1942 ◽  
Vol 36 (6) ◽  
pp. 1109-1127
Author(s):  
Clyde F. Snider
Keyword(s):  
Local Government ◽  
Intergovernmental Relations ◽  
State Legislatures ◽  
Local Economy ◽  
Pearl Harbor ◽  
Home Rule ◽  
National Defense ◽  
Public Mind ◽  
The Public ◽  
Township Government

With national defense problems paramount in the public mind, it is not surprising that developments in rural local government during 1941 revealed, more than in normal times, the imprint of national and world conditions. State legislatures, though their sessions preceded Pearl Harbor, devoted much attention to defense problems and assigned to local governmental units an important rôle in defense organization and activities. Various steps were taken to foster coöperation in the defense effort by government at all levels; and, in view of the necessity for large national expenditures for defense purposes, additional emphasis was placed upon the need for local economy. Concurrent with the various defense-related developments was a continuation of normal peace-time efforts to improve the organization and operation of rural local government. As in former years, the events of 1941 will be summarized under the following headings: (1) areas; (2) organization and personnel; (3) functions; (4) finance; (5) optional charters and home rule; and (6) intergovernmental relations.

County and Township Government in 1942

1943 ◽  
Vol 37 (6) ◽  
pp. 1041-1051 ◽  
Author(s):  
Clyde F. Snider
Keyword(s):  
Local Government ◽  
Intergovernmental Relations ◽  
Home Rule ◽  
Large Measure ◽  
War Effort ◽  
Popular Interest ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Township Government

During the first war year, it was to be expected that popular interest in rural local government would be subordinated, in large measure, to problems more directly connected with the national war effort. Nevertheless, vigorous prosecution of the war program has required coöperation on the part of government at all levels; and the impact of that program has been felt in various ways, both directly and indirectly, by local governmental units. Indeed, in surveying county and township government in 1942 one is inevitably impressed by the extent to which developments of the year were either the product of, or at least intensified by, wartime conditions. As in previous reviews, events will be summarized under the following headings: (1) areas; (2) organization and personnel; (3) functions; (4) finance; (5) home rule and optional charters; and (6) intergovernmental relations.

County and Township Government in 1939

1940 ◽  
Vol 34 (6) ◽  
pp. 1145-1166 ◽  
Author(s):  
Clyde F. Snider
Keyword(s):  
Local Government ◽  
Political Institutions ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Intergovernmental Relations ◽  
State Legislatures ◽  
Cumulative Effect ◽  
Government Organization ◽  
Local Political Institutions ◽  
Township Government

Recent years have witnessed a growing interest in the problems of local government in rural areas. Increasing demands upon the taxpayer for the support of government and its services have emphasized the need for modernization of our local political institutions. Although advances in this direction are inevitably slow, each year brings some progressive steps, the cumulative effect of which, over a number of years, should be considerable. In 1939, with most state legislatures in session, numerous statutes were enacted which had as their purpose the readjustment of governmental areas or functions, the improvement of local-government organization or finance, or the promotion of coöperation among various governmental units. At the same time, there were instances in which local units themselves sought, under existing authority, to undertake the performance of new services or to provide their inhabitants with governmental forms or procedures better suited to present-day needs. As in previous years, the developments of 1939 will be summarized under the following headings: (1) areas; (2) organization and personnel; (3) functions; (4) finance; (5) optional charters; and (6) intergovernmental relations.

County and Township Government in 1944

1945 ◽  
Vol 39 (6) ◽  
pp. 1107-1118
Author(s):  
Clyde F. Snider
Keyword(s):  
Local Government ◽  
New England ◽  
Fire Protection ◽  
Soil Conservation ◽  
State Legislatures ◽  
Fire Departments ◽  
Constitutional Amendments ◽  
Registered Voters ◽  
Township Government ◽  
Regular Session

Developments in rural local government during 1944 included little that was wholly novel. Few state legislatures were in regular session, and those which met gave rather less attention than usual to local governmental problems. Nevertheless, several significant statutes and constitutional amendments became effective, and the convention which framed a new constitution for Missouri took numerous steps toward the modernization of local government in that state. In addition, particular local units in various states took action under preëxisting legal authority to improve their governmental forms or practices. As is usually the case, some proposals in the direction of betterment were defeated.I. AreasA type of governmental area which is becoming increasingly popular is that for providing rural fire protection. Kentucky, in 1944, authorized the establishment of fire protection districts upon petition by fifty-one per cent of the registered voters of the territory proposed to be included. Like some other laws of its kind, the Kentucky statute provides that the governing boards of such districts may either operate fire departments or contract for receiving fire protection from municipalities or other fire protection districts.The number of soil conservation districts continued to grow rapidly. As of December 15, 1944, 1,203 such districts, including approximately 3,107,451 farms, had been established in the 45 states having soil conservation district laws. Only the three New England states of Connecticut, Massachusetts, and New Hampshire were without legislation authorizing the organization of districts of this nature.

County and Township Government in 1943

1944 ◽  
Vol 38 (6) ◽  
pp. 1089-1113
Author(s):  
Clyde P. Snider
Keyword(s):  
Local Government ◽  
Ad Hoc ◽  
Intergovernmental Relations ◽  
Public Library ◽  
The United States ◽  
The State ◽  
Wild Game ◽  
Legislative Authority ◽  
Predatory Animal ◽  
Township Government

The future of local government in the United States is likely to depend in no inconsiderable degree upon the extent to which the local units make a vital contribution toward winning the present war and solving the problems arising therefrom. It is therefore of special significance that many of the developments occurring in county and township government during 1943 were related directly or indirectly to the war and postwar problems. At the same time, progress continued along various lines which had become well established prior to the war. Public interest in rural local government was evidenced both by the large amount of state legislation enacted with reference thereto and by local action taken under legislative authority. Developments during the year will be summarized under the following headings: (1) areas; (2) organization and personnel; (3) functions; (4) finance; (5) optional forms of government; (6) intergovernmental relations; and (7) research and experimentation.New Areas. State legislatures continued to enact statutes establishing or authorizing the establishment of local ad hoc authorities for various purposes. Wyoming established each organized county of the state as a predatory animal district, under the control of a district board, for the purpose of paying bounties for the killing of animals that prey upon domestic livestock, poultry, and wild game. General laws authorized the organization of weed-control districts in South Dakota, public library districts in Illinois, cemetery districts in Montana, and county water authorities in California. Georgia's constitution was amended to empower the governing authorities of Bibb county to establish and administer, within the county and outside the city of Macon, special districts for sanitation purposes, garbage removal and disposal, fire prevention, police protection, drainage, road building and improvement, and any other public services and facilities customarily afforded by municipalities of the state.

County and Township Government in 1937

1938 ◽  
Vol 32 (5) ◽  
pp. 936-956 ◽  
Author(s):  
Clyde F. Snider
Keyword(s):  
Local Government ◽  
General Public ◽  
Intergovernmental Relations ◽  
General Trend ◽  
Effective Means ◽  
State Legislators ◽  
Constitutional Amendment ◽  
The City ◽  
Township Government ◽  
Legislative Approval

Problems of county and township government continued, during 1937, to attract considerable attention from state legislators, political scientists, and the general public. The legislative sessions of the year were productive of a large number of statutes relating to various aspects of local government and administration; and in several instances local units acted under powers previously granted in adopting governmental forms or procedures more suitable to their needs. Notwithstanding a few backward steps and the fact that progress continued to be slow, the general trend was in the direction of improvement. Clearly in evidence was a tendency to confer additional powers and duties upon the local units; and accompanying this increase in functions were efforts to supply additional revenue, modernize the machinery of government, and provide effective means of control.The developments of the year will be summarized, as were those for the biennium 1935–36, under the following headings: (1) areas; (2) organization and personnel; (3) functions; (4) finance; (5) optional charters; and (6) intergovernmental relations. To facilitate comparison, the subdivisional arrangement of the article of last year, in so far as it is applicable, will also be followed.Territorial Consolidation. The need for reducing the number of local government units through consolidation was given most attention in Pennsylvania. Existing laws governing the formation of new townships were amended to preclude the division of existing townships and to expedite consolidation. Other legislation was intended to facilitate the annexation of first-class townships or parts thereof to contiguous cities or boroughs. First legislative approval was given to a proposed constitutional amendment providing that no new counties shall be created except through the consolidation of existing counties. A proposed amendment for the consolidation of Philadelphia county with the city of Philadelphia was given second legislative passage, only to be rejected by the voters in the November election.

County and Township Government in 1946

1947 ◽  
Vol 41 (6) ◽  
pp. 1130-1141
Author(s):  
Clyde F. Snider ◽  
Neil F. Garvey
Keyword(s):  
Local Government ◽  
State Legislatures ◽  
School Consolidation ◽  
Public Works ◽  
Public Welfare ◽  
Welfare Services ◽  
Local Areas ◽  
The Future ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Township Government

The first postwar year found rural local government facing problems of readjustment. As the rural units had felt the impact of war less forcefully than the states and cities, so their reconstruction problems were less acute; but they were none the less genuine and significant. To mention but a few, these included the construction of deferred public-works projects, the provision of housing and various forms of assistance for returned veterans, the modernization and expansion of public-welfare services, the securing of additional revenues adequate to finance an expanded program of local activities, and the reorganization of local areas and machinery with a view to fostering economy and efficiency in a period of mounting governmental costs. Though less than a dozen state legislatures held regular sessions, the year's enactments served both to initiate reconstruction programs begun a year earlier in many states and to indicate the nature of other measures likely to be more generally adopted in the future. Statutes of previous years formed the basis of various improvements in local government which were effected in 1946.The school-consolidation programs begun in the preceding year in Illinois and Kansas continued to make progress. At the beginning of October, 174 consolidations involving 897 districts had been effected in Illinois. In Kansas, some 2,000 districts have already been eliminated, and it has been estimated that the program in that state, as revised early in 1947, may ultimately reduce the number of districts, originally well over 8,000, to only 3,000.

County and Township Government in 1938

1939 ◽  
Vol 33 (6) ◽  
pp. 1058-1072
Author(s):  
Clyde F. Snider
Keyword(s):  
Local Government ◽  
State Legislatures ◽  
Local Areas ◽  
Unusual Amount ◽  
Township Government

Developments in rural local government during 1938, although including occasional innovations, consisted chiefly in the continuation and extension of trends previously discernible. Although most state legislatures were not in session, several of those which met gave an unusual amount of attention to problems of local government. Especially in evidence were efforts to place local finances upon a sound basis, but there were also noteworthy measures designed to adjust local areas to present needs and to revitalize the internal machinery of local government. In reviewing the events of the year, a topical arrangement similar to that used in previous summaries will be followed.

scholarly journals A New and Reinvigorated Research Agenda for U.S. Local Governments

2021 ◽  
pp. 0160323X2199163
Author(s):  
Ann O’M. Bowman ◽  
Domonic A. Bearfield ◽  
Stefanie Chambers ◽  
Beverly A. Cigler ◽  
Arnold Fleischmann ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Local Government ◽  
Public Engagement ◽  
Local Governments ◽  
Research Agenda ◽  
Institutional Design ◽  
Intergovernmental Relations ◽  
Social Equity ◽  
Local Government Finance ◽  
Local Government Management ◽  
Vantage Points

This essay offers a perspective on a new and reinvigorated research agenda for the study of U.S. local governments. It reports on the ideas and reflections of a set of local government scholars with different vantage points and varied substantive interests. Seven paramount themes or directions for a research agenda were identified, all of which contain numerous threads and thrusts: local government finance and economic development, local government management, intergovernmental relations, collaboration, public engagement, social equity, and institutional design. The essay offers some reasons for optimism about the future of U.S. local governments while also identifying cause for concern.

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