Institutional Constraints and Policy Choice: An Exploration of Local Governance (S U N Y Series in Public Administration)

Examines the institutional rules of the game that both shape and are shaped by human behavior, focusing on the local level arrangements. Institutional Arrangements Constitute The Rules Of The Game For Any Civil And Political Society. To Understand Urban Politics And Policy Making, Including Issues Dealing With Economic Development, Zoning, Constituency Representation, Government Borrowing, And Service Contract Decisions, Discovering Institutional Regularities Is Key. To Achieve This The Authors Combine Older Institutional Approaches Emphasizing Formal Structure And Governance Organizations With Newer Approaches And Transaction Cost Theory. Institutional Constraints And Policy Choice Contends That Institutional Arrangements Both Shape And Are Shaped By Human Behavior, And When Combined With Contextual Factors And The Uncertainty Associated With Leadership Turnover Provide The Basis Of Understanding How Decisions Are Made At The Level Of Local Government.--jacket. Institutional Foundations Of Local Governance -- Institutional Incentives And Policy Choice -- Constituencies, Contacting, And Casework -- Leadership Turnover And The Delivery Of City Services -- Turnover, Time Horizons, And Credible Commitments: The Politics Of Long-term Obligations -- External Constraints And Local Policy Choice -- Conclusion: Institutions And Local Government. James C. Clingermayer And Richard C. Feiock. Includes Bibliographical References (p. 133-148) And Index. Annotation Combining older institutional approaches emphasizing formal structure and governance with newer approaches and transaction cost theory, Clingermayer (political science, Northern Kentucky University) and Feiock (public administration and policy, Florida State University) argue that institutional arrangements both shape and are shaped by human behavior. They also examine contextual factors and the uncertainty of leadership in explaining how decisions are made at the level of local government. Chapters center on the institutional foundations of local governance, incentives and policy choice, constituencies, contacting, case work, leadership turnover, the delivery of services, long-term obligations, and external constraints. Annotation copyrighted by Book News Inc., Portland, OR Contents 6 Preface 8 Acknowledgments 12 1. Institutional Foundations of Local Governance 14 2. Institutional Incentives and Policy Choice 22 3. Constituencies, Contacting, and Casework 48 4. Leadership Turnover and the Delivery of City Services 72 5. Turnover, Time Horizons, and Credible Commitments: The Politics of Long-Term Obligations 88 6. External Constraints and Local Policy Choice 106 7. Conclusion: Institutions and Local Government 130 Notes 142 Chapter 3 142 Chapter 4 143 Chapter 5 144 Chapter 6 144 References 146 Index 162 A-E 162 E-N 163 N-Z 164