Comparing Local Government Systems across Countries: Conceptual and Methodological Challenges to Building a Field of Comparative Local Government Studies

10.1068/cav5 ◽  
2008 ◽  
Vol 26 (1) ◽  
pp. 87-103 ◽  
Author(s):  
Harold Wolman
Keyword(s):  
Local Government ◽  
Methodological Challenges ◽  
Comparative Local Government

Comparative Local Government Financial Analyses

1986 ◽  
Vol 6 (4) ◽  
pp. 23-33 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jesse W. Hughes ◽  
Raymond Laverdiere
Keyword(s):  
Local Government ◽  
Comparative Local Government ◽  
Financial Analyses

scholarly journals Citizen support for Increasing the Responsibilities of Local Government in European Countries: A Comparative Analysis

2011 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-21 ◽  
Author(s):  
Keith Baker ◽  
Steven Van de Walle ◽  
Chris Skelcher
Keyword(s):  
Local Government ◽  
Government Spending ◽  
Research Agenda ◽  
Government Power ◽  
Citizen Attitudes ◽  
European Values ◽  
Citizen Support ◽  
European Values Study ◽  
Government Data ◽  
Comparative Local Government

The transfer of responsibilities from central to local government has often been justified on the grounds of efficiency and democracy under the principle of subsidiarity. The existing models for mapping local government power in Europe, however, are often insufficiently detailed to allow an in-depth comparison, and little is known about the level of citizen support for increasing the responsibilities of local government. This paper attempts to expand this knowledge base by using financial local government data and opinion data from the European Values Study to analyse these questions. It relates the level of local government responsibilities in Europe to the level of citizen support for increasing local government responsibilities. These findings are then used to develop a research agenda on local government measurement, and to reflect on the difficulties facing the European comparative local government researcher. Keywords: • comparative local government • citizen attitudes • local government power • decentralisation • local government spending

The Nairobi City Council: A Study in Comparative Local Government

1966 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 181-198 ◽  
Author(s):  
Herrbert H. Werlin
Keyword(s):  
Local Government ◽  
Political Party ◽  
City Council ◽  
Political Crisis ◽  
City Hall ◽  
The City ◽  
Comparative Local Government

Charles Rubia's resignation from office as Mayor of Nairobi on September 15, 1964, set off a potentially dangerous political crisis in Kenya. Although Rubia subsequently returned to office the affair split the major political party, aroused considerable tribal passion, provoked the youth-wing into angry demonstrations and the Kikuyu women of Nairobi into their piercing “ululating” cry in front of the City Hall.

Comparing and Measuring Subnational Autonomy across Three Continents

2015 ◽  
Vol 13 (3) ◽  
pp. 741-764 ◽  
Author(s):  
Helder Ferreira Do Vale
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Local Government ◽  
South America ◽  
Local Governments ◽  
Large Data ◽  
Large Data Sets ◽  
Data Sets ◽  
The World ◽  
America South ◽  
Comparative Local Government

The literature on comparative local government has been primarily focused on measurement of local governments while it has fallen short in theorizing on diverse structures, dynamics, and functioning of local governments throughout the world. This article posits that large data sets measuring local government indicators help to accumulate knowledge but fail to identify and explain the main dynamics behind local governments activities and processes. Attempting to increase comparability of local government across different regions, this article builds on qualitative indicators of decentralization in three sub-regions—South America, South Asia and Southern Africa—and assesses the evolution of subnational autonomy in the most decentralized countries in these sub-regions; namely, Brazil, India and South Africa.

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