This innovative Handbook puts the politics of public administration at the forefront, providing comprehensive insights and comparative perspectives of the different aspects of the field. Revealing the power configurations in different institutional settings, this Handbook considers the general influence of administration on political decisions and the subsequent consequences of its involvement. An impressive array of contributors discuss how public administrations can differ between countries and to what extent their characteristics are influenced by political values and preferences. More specifically, chapters address the structure and political function of the administration and its performance in countries including the USA, France, Germany, Sweden and Switzerland. Addressing the plethora of normative, empirical, and analytical questions surrounding the politics of public administration, this Handbook will be an invaluable read for scholars of public administration and political science. It will also be an essential reference point for all students and practitioners of political theory and management.

How big is good? Leaders committed to one answer have spent billions, destroyed entire cities and towns, and created new bureaucracies - from Scandinavia to Japan. This study should transform discussion of how a 'simple' question is asked, and answered. It shows that most of the clear and simple answers are wrong; size impacts are often minimal, or embedded in complexities. The logic and rigor of the answers sets this book apart from everything earlier. It is a model that should inspire imitation on related topics.' - Terry Nichols Clark, University of Chicago, US'This book synthesizes a burgeoning literature addressing the impact of size on the quality of local democracy, understood across several dimensions. It is a stimulating read, based on prodigious research, and with practical import for those who work in and study local politics. Strongly recommended.' - John Gerring, Boston University, US 'The authors of this important book have addressed a neglected question in the study of public policy and local politics: how large should local units be? Denters and Co should be congratulated for effectively and succinctly interrogating the evidence in an accessible and robust manner. Contrary to the reformers, they find that small may be more beautiful after all. Democracy may be enhanced by smaller units: it is important to say this and this book does so with complete authority.' - Peter John, University College London, UK How large should local governments be? Scholars and public sector reformers alike have asked this question for many years. Size and Local Democracy investigates this subject in four countries where local governments play an important role but are different in size and structure - Switzerland, Norway, Denmark and the Netherlands. Based on unique comparative data, the authors explore whether the size of municipalities has consequences for its citizens' democratic perceptions, attitudes and behaviors. Chapters build cumulatively on findings of the previous chapters, to conclude that increased size may not necessarily benefit the quality of local democracy. Scholars and students with an interest in democracy or local government will find this analytical book of interest. It will also be a useful resource to practitioners with a focus on public sector reforms. Contents: Part I. Introduction 1. Size and Local Democracy 2. Confronting the Research Challenge 3. The Research Context Part II. The Social and Political Environment of Local Government 4. Social Embeddedness 5. Perceived Government Challenges Part III. Cognitive and Evaluative Aspects of Democracy 6. Political Interest and Knowledge 7. Political Competence 8. Political Confidence 9. Satisfaction with Municipal Performance Part IV. Participatory Aspects of Democracy 10. Elections and Electoral Participation 11. Non-electoral Participation 12. Direct Democratic Participation in Switzerland Part V. Conclusion 13. Through the Funnel of Causality 14. Size and Local Democracy A Summary Aassessment Index

Swiss citizens approve of their government and the way democracy is practiced; they trust the authorities and are satisfied with the range of services Swiss governments provide. This is quite unusual when compared to other countries. This open access book provides insight into the organization and the functioning of the Swiss state. It claims that, beyond politics, institutions and public administration, there are other factors which make a country successful. The authors argue that Switzerland is an interesting case, from a theoretical, scientific and a more practice-oriented perspective. While confronted with the same challenges as other countries, Switzerland offers different solutions, some of which work astonishingly well.

This book considers local autonomy, measured as a multidimensional concept, from a cross-country comparative perspective, and examines how variations can be explained and what their consequences are. It fills a gap in the literature by providing a comprehensive study of the different components of local autonomy across a large number of countries, over time. It offers a theoretically saturated concept to measure local autonomy and applies it to 39 countries, including all 28 EU member states together with Albania, Georgia, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Macedonia, Moldova, Norway, Serbia, Switzerland Turkey and Ukraine, over a period of 25 years (1990-2014).

This book considers local autonomy, measured as a multidimensional concept, from a cross-country comparative perspective, and examines how variations can be explained and what their consequences are. It fills a gap in the literature by providing a comprehensive study of the different components of local autonomy across a large number of countries, over time. It offers a theoretically saturated concept to measure local autonomy and applies it to 39 countries, including all 28 EU member states together with Albania, Georgia, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Macedonia, Moldova, Norway, Serbia, Switzerland Turkey and Ukraine, over a period of 25 years (1990-2014).

Swiss citizens approve of their government and the way democracy is practiced; they trust the authorities and are satisfied with the range of services Swiss governments provide. This is quite unusual when compared to other countries. This open access book provides insight into the organization and the functioning of the Swiss state. It claims that, beyond politics, institutions and public administration, there are other factors which make a country successful. The authors argue that Switzerland is an interesting case, from a theoretical, scientific and a more practice-oriented perspective. While confronted with the same challenges as other countries, Switzerland offers different solutions, some of which work astonishingly well.

Das Buch untersucht am Beispiel der Schweizer Kantone, wie stark sich Parteiensysteme und politische Parteien langfristig uberhaupt verandern.