Palgrave Studies in Sub-National Governance

This book presents new research results on the challenges of local politics in different European countries, including Germany, the Netherlands, the Nordic countries and Switzerland, together with theoretical considerations on the further development and strengthening of local self-government. It focuses on analyses of the most recent developments in local democracy and administration.

This book focuses on local state-society relations, understood as institutionalised relations between local municipalities across Europe and individual, collective or corporate societal actors. It presents a typology of local state-society relations, and applies this to characterise the most relevant institutionalised relations between local government and societal actors at the municipal level in 22 European countries. The comparative volume will clarify whether or not patterns can be detected in the makeup of different types of networks; whether or not these patterns are country-specific or policy-specific; and why cases exist which are so distinct that they are not subsumable under a certain pattern. Taken together, this book will go beyond national typologies to emphasise the role of agency and innovation in particular policy sectors, providing a major contribution in the study of the local governance of Europe. It will appeal to scholars and students of local governance, public administration, urban planning and European studies.

This book examines the roles of communities in the general framework of territorial innovation, particularly in the context of less developed regions. With a specific focus on Portugal, it offers conceptual improvements that will be of use to other European regions. The book will appeal to scholars and students of regional governance and politics, from public administration to economics, sociology, geography and political science, as well as to practitioners.

This book explores the impact of recent planning reforms on emergent, alternative models of local governance. It uses the pioneering approach of Frome in Somerset, UK to showcase development and governance alternatives in a post-Brexit landscape. It investigates the role of planning in contributing to sustainable development under localism, and examines how key actors have used the Neighbourhood Planning process to put forward niche, community-based development futures. In doing so, the book offers valuable methodological, empirical and theoretical contributions to wider debates concerning transition, placemaking, local politics and planning. It will appeal to all those interested in public policy and governance.          
                                                                                        

This book provides a comprehensive analysis of municipal amalgamation reforms in Europe. Adopting the analytical and methodological tools of comparative historical analysis, it examines how the history of local government systems has conditioned the adoption of municipal amalgamation reforms across time and space. Beginning with Sweden’s early amalgamation reforms during the late 1940s and early 1950s, it assesses how the evolution of the Welfare State, decentralization, urbanization, and economic growth have all impacted amalgamation reforms in ten other European countries. 

This book assesses the quality of self-government in four northern European regions with strong autonomy rights. Examining the experiences of Scotland, the Faroe Islands, Greenland and the Åland Islands, it considers how these regions have developed their own political and administrative systems within the larger states they form part of. The book looks to understand the key democratic and administrative qualities of a functioning self-government, and how geographic size and economic and human resources can impact the ways in which partially independent territories govern. It also assesses the emotional dimensions of regional nationalism, and how this impacts the concept and public perception of partially independent nation-territories. By focusing on the quality of self-government within these nation-territories, the book considers whether strong autonomy contributes to peaceful co-existence within established national borders, or provides new munition for secessionist movements. It will appeal to students and scholars of sub-national governance, European politics, territorial politics and conflict management.

This open access book examines the roles of municipal chief executive officers in Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden. Whilst it has long been recognised that local authorities in these countries are often more autonomous than most other local authorities around the world, we still lack an integrated overview of leadership in Nordic local government, and the development of its top administrative management. This book ameliorates this lack of knowledge by providing a thorough, extensive and updated assessment of the role of municipal chief executive officers in the five Nordic states, as well as their interactions and relations with internal and external actors. Comparative in nature, it will appeal to all those interested in local and urban governance, public administration, public management, and leadership studies.

This book examines the various ways in which policymakers and political actors across different governmental levels have responded to the recent European refugee ‘crisis’, and the effects of these responses. Whereas previous studies have often focused on the discourses and policies implemented by national and local governments, this book shifts the focus to knowledge-formation and decision-making processes. Drawing on evidence from Italy – a country that has been centrally affected by the refugee ‘crisis’ – the book examines policy processes regarding asylum-seeking migration at sub-national, national and EU level. It argues that policymakers at all levels of government can be influenced by perceptions of public attitudes towards immigration, and that these perceptions are often divorced from objective evidence. The book will appeal to all those interested in multilevel governance, migration studies, public policy, and European politics.

This open access book assesses the consequences of contemporary economic and political crises for intergovernmental relations in Europe. Focusing on the crises arising from the Covid-19 pandemic, climate change, surges in migration, and the resurgence of regional nationalist movements, it explores the shifting power balances within intergovernmental relations’ systems.  The book takes a comparative analytical perspective on how intergovernmental relations are changing across Europe, and how central governments have responded to coordination challenges as recent crises have disrupted established service delivery chains and their underpinning political and bureaucratic arrangements. It also examines the relationship between recent crises and the sub-national resurgence of territorial politics in many European countries. The book will appeal to those with interests in public administration, sub-national governance and European politics.

This book assesses the challenges faced by local governments when deciding on the location of public services. Some physical signs of government presence are vital and generally welcomed within local communities. Schools, bus stops, care facilities, and public libraries are both crucial for the functioning and sustainability of communities, and symbolize governmental engagement. Conversely, other types of facilities are typically unwelcome. Waste and recycling stations, wind farms, and prisons often provoke protests from local residents. Drawing on evidence from Sweden, this book argues that decisions on how to locate services are inherently political, and that in order to succeed, authorities need to ensure that their policies are perceived as legitimate. It also demonstrates how the problem of locating public services is a universal issue, relevant to governments at all levels and in all countries. As urbanization and pressure on welfare systems grow, the problem of locating public services looks set to become more pressing, and the themes raised in the book are likely to remain relevant for years to come. It will appeal to researchers and practitioners in the fields of public administration and local government studies, as well as policymakers and public officials.