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Books > Social sciences > Politics & government > Local government > General
How are responses to urban policy challenges affected by new ideas about governance? How can we explain the governance transformations that result? And what are the consequences for democracy? This wide-ranging study of three European cities - Birmingham, Copenhagen and Rotterdam - shows how hybrid forms of governance emerge from the tensions between new visions and past legacies, and existing institutional arrangements and powerful actors. Hybrid governance includes public-private partnerships, stakeholders boards, and multi-actor forums operating at arm's length to institutions of representative democracy. Offering detailed studies of migration and neighbourhood policy, as well as a novel Q methodology analysis of public administrators' views on democracy, the book explores how actors generate new practices, shows how these develop, and evaluates the democratic implications. The book concludes that hybrid governance is both widespread and diverse, is spatially and policy specific and that actors - public managers, politicians and the public - contribute to hybrid designs in ways that promote and challenge democratic conventions.
This book explores how political structures and relations affect the 'black box of power' between governmental levels. It draws on case studies in Canada, the UK and continental Europe to illustrate how the design of political structures and the relative hierarchy of the relations between actors affect how governments deliver services.
Urban governance in most western democracies has seen various forms of public-private concerted actions becoming increasingly important instruments for local governments. These new features of urban governance are often seen as local governments trying to enhance their "capacity to act" by fusing their capabilities with those of other major societal actors. At the same time such transgressions of the border between the public and the private spheres of society make local governments more susceptible to political pressures from those actors. This volume looks at the historical development and present performance of public-private partnerships for local economic development in western Europe and the United States. The theoretical framework applied in the volume is derived from theories of governance as well as from institutional theory.
Power and Party in an English City provides an account of how decisions are taken by the state at the level of locality. More specifically, it is an account of the private policy-making activities of a ruling Labour group of councillors in the major English city of Newcastle-Upon-Tyne. Despite the fact that local government in most of the towns and cities of England is one-party government, very little is known abotu the private behaviour of ruling party groups. In this book David Green provides a penetrating empirical study of the realities of local government. The author seeks to examine and analyse the importance of party discipline, the relationship between the Labour group of councillors and the party outside the council, the power of the committee chairmen, the role of local patronage and the openness of the local policy-making process. The government of Newcastle is perhaps the most closely association in the public mind with T. Dan Smith, the corrupt local politician. In fact, Smith had left local politics in Newcastle in teh mid-1960s. How was the city being run a decade or so later? This study is however much more than an inside view of the affairs of a single authority. The last part of the book is devoted to a discussion of aspects of some traditional and modern theories of democracy and specifically to what author sees as the inadequate advocacy of participatory democracy in recent years. Green makes a major contribution to our thinking about the kind of democracy that is possible in modern large-scale societies, explores weaknesses of moder theories and puts forward some original modifications to modern democratic theory, in the light of a theory of knowledge which is seen as more appropriate for modern natural and social scientific activity. This book was first published in 1981.
How, in the absence of institutional mechanisms, do Maoist rebels in India quit an ongoing insurgency without getting killed? How do rebels give up arms and return to the same political processes that they had once sought to overthrow? The question of weaning rebels away from extremist groups is highly significant in counterinsurgency and in the pacification of insurgencies. In Farewell to Arms, Rumela Sen goes to the rebels themselves and breaks down the protracted process of rebel retirement into a multi-staged journey as the rebels see it. She draws on several rounds of interviews with current and former Maoist rebels as well as security personnel, administrators, activists, politicians, and civilians in two conflict zones in North and South India. The choice to quit an insurgency, she finds, depends on locally embedded, informal exit networks. The relative weakness of these networks in North India means that fewer rebels quit than in the South, where more feel that they can disarm without getting killed. Sen shows that these networks grow out of the grassroots civic associations in the gray zone of state-insurgency interface. Correcting the course for future policy, Sen provides a new explanation of rebel retirement that will be essential to any policymaker or scholar working to end protracted insurgencies.
In this groundbreaking study, Zimmerman explores the town meeting form of government in all New England states. This comprehensive work relies heavily upon surveys of town officers and citizens, interviews, and mastery of the scattered writing on the subject. Zimmerman finds that the stereotypes of the New England open town meeting advanced by its critics are a serious distortion of reality. He shows that voter superintendence of town affairs has proven to be effective, and there is no empirical evidence that thousands of small towns and cities with elected councils are governed better. Whereas the relatively small voter attendance suggests that interest groups can control town meetings, their influence has been offset effectively by the development of town advisory committees, particularly the finance committee and the planning board, which are effective counterbalances to pressure groups. Zimmerman provides a new conception of town meeting democracy, positing that the meeting is a de facto representative legislative body with two safety valves--open access to all voters and the initiative to add articles to the warrant, and the calling of special meetings to reconsider decisions made at the preceding town meeting. And, as Zimmerman points out, a third safety valve--the protest referendum--can be adopted by a town meeting.
During its 13 years of office, Labour's modernization agenda transformed the world of UK local government. Amidst a starkly altered political and economic climate the coalition government formed in 2010 pledged to implement equally radical changes to the system. Taking account of the coalition's programme for government and its first round of spending cuts, the completely revised and updated fifth edition of this popular and established text is timed to take full advantage of this historic juncture. David Wilson and Chris Game provide readers with systematic coverage of the UK's local government. The book examines its defining features, its history, changing structure, operations, functions, financing, and its relations with central government. The fifth edition gives additional emphasis to local government in the devolved regions of the UK, and provides more extensive analysis of centre-local government relations. The authors deliver a thorough critique of Labour's third term in office. Looking ahead, the book anticipates the future of local government under the coalition government. Two themes look likely to dominate policy making: decentralization and cuts to public spending. With its clear, accessible, non-technical style and popular illustrations, Local Government in the United Kingdom will be essential reading for students, practitioners, and anyone with an interest in local politics.
"Baldassare's discussions of California's demographic and geographic diversity are fresh and innovative. The very large, original surveys that the author collected provide important information."--Bruce Cain, Director, Institute of Governmental Studies, University of California, Berkeley "Mark Baldassare has probed as deeply and wisely as anyone ever has into that most fascinating and, at times, most enigmatic of public phenomena, the behavior of the California voter. With A California State of Mind, he's made an indispensable contribution to our understanding of the politics of our time."--Peter Schrag, author of "Paradise Lost: California's Experience, America's Future "Mark Baldassare provides the next best thing to a crystal ball for California's future. This book should be required reading for all public officials in California, especially those who think they are up to the challenge of leading the Golden State into the 21st Century."--Ruben Barrales, President and CEO, Joint Venture: Silicon Valley Network "Through his keen insights on the rapidly changing cross currents of political and social life in California, Mark Baladassare has provided us with not only a vivid description of where the State is today, but a thought provoking view of where America may be going."--Richard T. Schlosberg III, President and CEO, the David & Lucile Packard Foundation ""California in the New Millennium contains a wealth of data and valuable analysis concerning the political, demographic, and social changes affecting governance in the nation's most populous and diverse state. This book offers a sobering-and challenging-portrait of the bellwether state as it enters the 21st century. Itprovides America's leaders and citizens a window to the country's future."--Sherry Bebitch Jeffe, senior associate at the School of Politics and Economics at Claremont Graduate University, contributing editor to Opinion in the Los Angeles Times, and political analyst for KCAL-TV in Los Angeles "What do you call four disparate states populated by mutually suspicious ethnic communities united by a common distrust of government? The Balkans? No. California. In this sharp and engaging book, Baldassare sets out what needs to be done for California to make it in the 21st Century."--Bill Schneider, Senior Political Analyst, CNN "In so many ways, the nation state of California today--with all its promise and all its problems--is the United States of Tomorrow. To understand the nation's future, we must first look to this Golden State. In his understanding and knowledge of California and its people, Mark Baldassare is second to none. With scholarship and wisdom, in "California in the New Millennium: The Changing Social and Political Landscape Mark Baldassare permits us to 'look around the corner' to the California and the United States of the 21st Century."--Mark Shields, Syndicated Columnist "Baldassare highlights the enormity of change which faces California in the years ahead. He rightly calls on public leaders and citizens alike to thoughtfully confront challenges of unprecedented scale and impact."--Philip Angelides, Treasurer, State of California "Mark Baldassare has provided a much-needed, one-stop source for pertinent data that explains California's political landscape-today and, most likely, far into the future. Read it and you'll become an expert. If you're already an expert,this will keep you ahead of the curve."--George Skelton, Los Angeles Times Political Columnist "No one knows how Californians think about politics better than Baldassare does. A California State of Mind will be a great success. Rich with data, it examines a critical topic from several viewpoints. Anyone interested in California politics should read this book."--Jack Peltason, coauthor of "Government by the People and "Understanding the Constitution
Vast changes in U.S. environmental policy from the New Deal through the Reagan administration have occurred that shed light on the nature of the American regulatory state. This book focuses on the sweeping transformation of regulatory policymaking that took place around 1970. The rise of social regulation and the advent of public interest movement during the 1960s and 1970s led to a significant change in policy outcomes, as the influence of governmental actors and political activists increased at the expense of business. By homing in on two specific areas, pesticide regulation and air pollution control, this study attempts to describe and explain these changes. This book is distinguished by its explanation of the transformation to the new system, its understanding of the way the new regulatory arrangements affect policy outcomes, and, most important, its explicit consideration of recent controversies in empirical political theory. The results provide an assessment of both the strengths and the weaknesses of the new institutionalism as a theoretical approach to studying domestic public policy in the United States. The regime framework developed here is designed to emphasize the multiplicity of forces behind public policy. This volume will be of interest to students of the American policy process, environmental policy and regulation, and theories of the American state, in academia, government, and the environmental policy community.
Local governments are hard-pressed to balance their budgets in the 1990s. Part of any budget-balancing effort is accurate forecasting. In this new work, Howard Frank introduces time-tested forecasting techniques from the private sector and military in a local forecasting environment. In a lucid, user-friendly treatment, Frank shows how simple and complex methods can be put to use in the contemporary local government setting. Through examples--many of them from his own research--the author delineates the strengths and weaknesses of quantitative and non-quantitative forecasting methods. Frank also shows how these techniques can be used to monitor changes in public programs--an increasingly important part of contemporary budget execution. Frank does not assume an extensive mathematical or statistical background on the part of the reader--indeed, a forecast neophyte will have no difficulty understanding the text. Questions at the end of each chapter focus the reader on the major concepts and provide insights on practical applications within the urban setting. A cornerstone of the work is that local forecasters must be intelligent experimenters with the new tools--there is no canned advice that applies to all cities and forecast situations. But with application of forecasting approaches treated in this unique work, local budgeters--and those in training to become budgeters--will be able to adopt forecasting approaches that have been underutilized in local government.
These volumes provide an essential comprehensive work of reference for the annual municipal elections that took place each November in the 83 County Boroughs of England and Wales between 1919 and 1938. They also provide an extensive and detailed analysis of municipal politics in the same period, both in terms of the individual boroughs and of aggregate patterns of political behaviour. Being annual, these local election results give the clearest and most authoritative record of how political opinion changed between general elections, especially useful for research into the longer gaps such as 1924-29 and 1935-45, or crisis periods such as 1929-31. They also illuminate the impact of fringe parties such as the Communist Party and the British Union of Fascists, and also such questions as the role of women in politics, the significance of religious and ethnic differentiation and the connection between occupational and class divisions and party allegiance. Analysis at the ward level is particularly useful for socio-spatial studies. A major work of reference, County Borough Elections in England and Wales, 1919-1938 is indispensable for university libraries and local and national record offices. Each volume has approximately 700 pages.
"Theories of Democratic Network Governance" aims to renew and refocus the political and scholarly debate on the use of governance networks in public policy making by raising and answering a series of questions about the dynamics of governance networks, the conditions for governance network success and failure, the forms and functions of metagovernance (defined as the regulation of self-regulating networks) and the democratic implications of network governance. In an attempt to answer these pressing questions, the contributors draw on a wide range of theoretical approaches within governance network theory, institutional theory and democratic theory.
This book concerns the role of the state in achieving development. In many developing countries conventional wisdom concluded that development is best achieved through a centralised development strategy. The failure of this centralised development strategy has brought about the emergence of decentralisation to local government as one of the means to turn the tide of underdevelopment. This book presents decentralisation not only as a manifestation of 'good governance', but also as an indispensable tool towards development. The central question, however, is the following: how should the transitional state convert this into constitutional and legal arrangements? The author proposes a model for capturing the developmental role of local government in institutional arrangements. The new design for local government, put forward in South Africa's 1997 Constitution, is based on the notion that local government should be the epicentre of development. This has prompted the author to use this South African concept as well as the first experiences with the implementation of the new local government dispensation as a case study.The importance of the book thus lies in the fact that it produces an institutional model for developmental local government that is not only based on development and decentralisation theories but is also tested in practice. It is hoped that those with an interest in the role of the state in development will find the arguments and conclusions useful. The book also provides a comprehensive overview of the South African design for local government, which is of interest to lawyers, policy makers and other parties involved in the implementation of the South African decentralisation strategy. Jaap de Visser teaches public law at the Law Faculty of Utrecht University in the Netherlands. Until the end of 2002, he worked as a researcher for the Community Law Centre (University of the Western Cape), specialising in local government law.
Sander chronicles changes in the Executive Office of the President (EOP) paralleling change and expansion in the federal government, the executive branch, and the office of the president, from its inception to the end of the Truman administration. . . . In his intriguing analysis of the historical dialectic surrounding theoretical questions about EOP Sander shines, showing the multi-colored underwear of a gray-flannel organization. The EOP becomes the playing field of a dynamic contest among differing constitutional and theoretical views. Sander has written a book about what could be a dull and lifeless topic, and made it enjoyable. Choice The creation of a staff to aid the chief executive in his immense management task was a crucial element in the development of the modern presidency. Focusing on the period that witnessed the most extensive changes in the executive branch, this book traces the evolution of the executive office of the President, and looks at the complex ways in which this organization has affected both the president's role and the operation of the federal government. Sander explores the political and administrative issues raised by the creation of a separate corps of careerists serving the president and independent of the departments and concludes with an assessment of various proposals aimed at reorganizing and controlling the appointment and functions of the presidential staff. Following a historical overview of major shifts in the presidential role, the author discusses the gradual increase in presidential staff and institutional support that occurred in the 1920s. Sander next examines the evolution of Roosevelt's executive office and the important precedents that were set during his administration. The primary focus of the book is on the major expansion of the presidential staff that occurred during Truman's tenure. When Truman left office, the basic staff services that enable the president to carry out his duties were in place. These were the Bureau of the Budget, the Council of Economic Advisors, the National Security Resources Board, and the National Security Council. Providing new insights on the forces and events that have shaped the institution of the presidency, this book will be of particular interest to those in the fields of political science, American political history, American public policy and public administration.
An inspiring and eye-opening memoir showing how Democrats can reconnect with rural and red-state voters, from Montana's three-term democratic senator Senator Jon Tester is a rare voice in Congress. He is the only United States senator who manages a full-time job outside of the Senate--as a farmer. But what has really come to distinguish Tester in the Senate is his commitment to accountability, his ability to stand up to Donald Trump, and his success in, time and again, winning red state voters back to the Democratic Party. In Grounded, Tester shares his early life, his rise in the Democratic party, his vision for helping rural America, and his strategies for reaching red state voters. Leaning deeply into lessons on the value of authenticity and hard work that he learned growing up on his family's 1,800-acre farm near the small town of Big Sandy, Montana--the same farm he continues to work today with his wife, Sharla--Tester has made his political career a testament to crossing the divides of class and geography. The media and Democrats too often discount rural people as Trump supporters; Tester knows better. His voice is vital to the public discourse as we seek to understand the issues that are important to rural and working-class America in not just the 2020 election but also for years to come. A heartfelt and inspiring memoir from a courageous voice, Grounded shows us that the biggest threat to our democracy isn't a president who has no moral compass. It's politicians who don't understand the value of accountability and hard work. Tester demonstrates that if American democracy is to survive, we must put our trust in the values that keep us grounded.
This long-needed, volume gives an overview of the past, present, and future of American county government. Recognized authorities describe how county governments have developed, how they are chosen and function in metropolitan and rural counties, and how they interrelate with state and national units of government. This primer analyzing how governmental roles are changing and how counties governments in the future might better deliver essential human services is intended for students and professionals and for classroom use, for courses in state and local government, urban and rural studies, and public administration. This expert overview begins with a short introduction and brief history. Then three chapters outline the broad characteristics of county governments today in terms of authority, structure, elections, legislatures and legislation, the capacities of county governments, and intergovernmental relations. Five chapters assess in turn how counties provide full-service government, the characteristics of metropolitan counties and urbanization, the special problems of rural county governments, shifting roles in county-state relations, and county policy objectives at the national level. The conclusion discusses counties, other governments, and future prospects. The reference list points to related readings of note.
Emphasizing the regional component of peace- and statebuilding,
this book provides an in-depth empirical analysis of external
engagament, primarily in Sri Lanka and also in Myanmar.
Sanchez-Cacicedo argues that though identified as 'global' forms of
involvement, a liberal peacebuilding approach and Western-led
international interventions in statebuilding processes lack the
necessary legitimacy at local and regional levels. The book
specifically explores the lack of consensus between non-regional
and regional actors involved in the 2002 peace process and its
implications in Sri Lanka; it further looks into the similar
situation of external involvement in Myanmar's statebuilding
process. Both case studies provide a rich contextual insight into
the specificity of external engagement in Asia, against the
backdrop of a globally rising China and India, and their evolving
neighbourhood policies.
While nearly everyone in the United States pays careful attention to the federal government in Washington, it is the state and local officials and bodies who are generally providing education, protecting the environment, caring for AIDS patients, financing affordable housing, and putting police and firefighters on the streets. In this text, Henry Raimondo gives these local governments some of the notice they are due, examining why state and local public finance has assumed such an important role in domestic fiscal policy matters. Traditional topics such as the theories of taxation and intergovernmental grants are combined with numerous overlooked subjects to reveal the dynamic and complex nature of state and local government fiscal behavior. Raimondo begins his text with a look at the relationship between regional economic performance and state and local government finance, and follows with a description of U.S. economic geography. The organization of the public sector is outlined through a discussion of the political and economic dimensions of the federal system, and the guidelines for delegating services to different levels of government. Among the other topics covered are methods for financing elementary and secondary education that adjust for regional economic differences; taxation in a federal system; state and local taxes on property, sales, and personal income; user charges and gambling revenues; and the actual beneficiaries of state and local governments. The book concludes with an overview of the grants-in-aid system and its effect on spending decisions. Students of economics, urban studies, and political science will find this work to be an invaluable resource, as will professionals in public policy and planning.
Over the past five years Europe has continued its growth towards closer financial ties and economic integration. Through specific policies on subfields including agriculture, trade, competition, banking and economic governance the economic fortunes of individual European countries are more closely tied than ever. The aim of this comprehensive collection is to provide an overview of these policy developments for those who wish to gain an understanding of European economic integration without assuming prior knowledge of economics or using technical terms but rather is written in an accessible style and geared towards a wider-readership. On top of this, the volume also deals with many of the current issues that the European economic integration is faced with such as the global financial economic and sovereign debt crisis.
This study explores modern Scotland and examines how Scottish politics, culture and identities have interacted within the national and international contexts in the last thirty years. It considers which voices and opinions have proven influential and defining and charts the boundaries of public conversation to and beyond the independence referendum
This completely revised third edition of Zachary A. Smith's classic text on Arizona politics and public policy brings its examination up to date through the most recent election cycle. Intended for courses on state and local politics and policy, the text provides an introduction to and analysis of the political process in the State of Arizona and the policies that process has produced. The new edition includes contributions from experts on Arizona law, politics, criminal justice, and sociology, and retains the first edition's two-pronged analysis of Arizona's political institutions (the courts, legislature, governor's office, etc.) and the current policy issues facing the state (the environment, water, health care, immigration, and land use, among others). The complete text for courses in public policy and politics. |
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