The Capacity of Local Governments in Europe: Autonomy, Responsibilities and Reforms (Governance and Public Management)

✍ Scribed by Sabine Kuhlmann, Benoît Paul Dumas, Moritz Heuberger

• Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan
• Year: 2022
• Tongue: English
• Leaves: 129
• Category: Library

✦ Synopsis

This book compares local self-government in Europe. It examines local institutional structures, autonomy, and capacities in six selected countries - France, Italy, Sweden, Hungary, Poland, and the United Kingdom - each of which represents a typical model of European local government. Within Europe, an overall trend towards more local government capacities and autonomy can be identified, but there are also some counter tendencies to this trend and major differences regarding local politico-administrative settings, functional responsibilities, and resources. The book demonstrates that a certain degree of local financial autonomy and fiscal discretion is necessary for effective service provision. Furthermore, a robust local organization, viable territorial structures, a professional public service, strong local leadership, and well-functioning tools of democratic participation are key aspects for local governments to effectively fulfill their tasks and ensure political accountability. The book will appeal to students and scholars of Public Administration and Public Management, as well as practitioners and policy-makers at different levels of government, in public enterprises, and in NGOs.

✦ Table of Contents

Contents
List of Figures
List of Tables
Chapter 1: Introduction
Chapter 2: Comparison of the Role of Local Governments in Europe: Autonomy, Self-Government, Local Democracy
2.1 Comparison of European Administrative Models
2.2 Conceptual Framework: Dimensions for Comparing Local Governments’ Capacities
2.3 Local Autonomy
2.4 Functional Responsibilities
2.5 Intergovernmental Relations
2.6 Territorial Profile
2.7 Political Profile
2.8 Conclusion
Bibliography
Chapter 3: Local Government Finances
3.1 European Models of Local Government Finance: Funding Sources and Volume of Expenditures
3.2 Role of European Structural Funds
3.3 Conclusion
Bibliography
Chapter 4: Reform Trends
4.1 Reform Discourses in Recent Decades
4.2 Recentralisation and Decentralisation
4.3 Territorial Reform
4.4 New Public Management and Privatisation
4.5 Post-New Public Management: Remunicipalisation
4.6 Conclusion: Diffusion and Convergence of Reform Models
Bibliography
Chapter 5: Conclusions
Bibliography
Annex
Bibliography