Metropolitan Governance: Conflict, Competition, and Cooperation

Martin Johnson

ISBN 10: 1589010205 / ISBN 13: 9781589010208

Published by Georgetown University Press, 2004

About this Item

This book examines the organization of governments in metropolitan areas and the consequences of the types of organization for both politics and policy. It will be the first book to bring together competing perspectives on the question of centralized vs. decentralized regional government, written by some of the top people in the field (whose books I've been pursuing). In particular, it explores the dynamics of decentralized systems of governance and the ways governments cooperate and compete. Some of the themes throughout the book include social capital, institutional collective action, the role of special districts, and the conflict between efficiency and equity. Individual chapters look at different theories of governance (the process of governing, as opposed to the institutions), the politics of choice of the type of government, the role of suburbs, and some specific hot topics: local economic development initiatives, the role of the suburbs, morality laws, charter schools, and globalization.

Seller Inventory # CIN1589010205VG

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Metropolitan Governance: Conflict, Competition, and Cooperation
• Publisher: Georgetown University Press
• Publication Date: 2004
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1589010205
• ISBN 13: 9781589010208
• Binding: Paperback
• Condition: Very Good

About this title

Synopsis

Metropolitan Governance is the first book to bring together competing perspectives on the question and consequences of centralized vs. decentralized regional government. Presenting original contributions by some of the most notable names in the field of urban politics, this volume examines the organization of governments in metropolitan areas, and how that has an effect on both politics and policy.

Existing work on metropolitan governments debates the consequences of interjurisdictional competition, but neglects the role of cooperation in a decentralized system. Feiock and his contributors provide evidence that local governments successfully cooperate through a web of voluntary agreements and associations, and through collective choices of citizens. This kind of "institutional collective action" is the glue that holds institutionally fragmented communities together.

The theory of institutional collective action developed here illustrates the dynamics of decentralized governance and identifies the various ways governments cooperate and compete. Metropolitan Governance provides insight into the central role that municipal governments play in the governance of metropolitan areas. It explores the theory of institutional collective action through empirical studies of land use decisions, economic development, regional partnerships, school choice, morality issues, and boundary change―among other issues.

A one-of-a-kind, comprehensive analytical inquiry invaluable for students of political science, urban and regional planning, and public administration―as well as for scholars of urban affairs and urban politics and policymakers―Metropolitan Governance blazes new territory in the urban landscape.

About the Author

Richard C. Feiock is a professor of public administration and policy at Florida State University.