Perspectives on Local Governance Across Europe : Insights on Local State-Society Relations

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. Contents Notes on Contributors List of Figures List of Tables Chapter 1: Introduction: The Book’s Scope and Content What Is the Main Focus of This Book? The Survey of Local State-Society Relations: How It Was Prepared and Carried Out and How to Interpret the Results Main Findings of the Survey and the Content of the Book References Part I: General Insights on Local State-Society Relations Chapter 2: Devil in Details: Beyond Deceptive Comparisons of European Local Governments Introduction The Struggle of Comparison The Problem of Context in Local Government Comparison Local Government Systems in Europe Exploring Autonomy, Coherence and Relevance Country Patterns Patterns of Types of Networks Patterns Within Policy Areas Conclusions References Chapter 3: The Notion of Democracy Among Actors Involved in Local State-Society Relations Introduction Conceptual Reflections Operationalisation Empirically Detected Notions of Democracy Among Actors Involved in Local State-Society Relations: How to Explain Their Differences? Do Institutional Roles and the Institutional Backgrounds of the Different Actors Matter Regarding Their Perception of Representative vs. Participatory Democracy? Does the Function of the Individual Forms of Local State-Society Relations Matter? Do General Political Attitudes of the Respondents and Their Socio-Structural Characteristics Correlating with Them Matter? Conclusion References Chapter 4: Determining the Democratic Quality of Non-Electoral Representation in Local State–Society Networks Introduction Conceptualizing the Democratic Quality of Non-Electoral Representation Explaining the Democratic Quality of Non-Electoral Representation Potential Factors at the Macro Level Potential Factors at the Meso Level Potential Factors at the Micro Level Data and Methods Results Discussion and Conclusion References Chapter 5: Legitimacy Claims of Societal Actors Involved in Local State-Society Relations Introduction Conceptual Reflections Operationalization Empirically Detected Legitimacy Claims to Representation How to Explain Differences in the Detected Legitimacy Claims to Representation? Does the Function of the Individual Forms of Local State-Society Relations Matter? Does the Type of Societal Actor Matter? Does the Respondents’ Notion of Democracy Matter? Conclusion References Chapter 6: Ideology, Trust and Autonomy: Differences Between Elected Politicians and All Other Participants of Local State-Society Networks Introduction Theory and State of Research Ideological Position Trust Autonomy Age Gender Education Data and Method Results Conclusion and Discussion References Chapter 7: Does Metagovernance Matter? The Patterns and Effects of Local Politicians’ Participation in Local State-Society Relations Introduction Methodological and Conceptual Reflections The Use of Surveys in Metagovernance Research Operationalizing Metagovernance Accounting for Metagovernance: Actors, Networks and Systems Operationalizing Network Performance The Metagovernance of Local Politicians in European Local State-Society Relations Explaining Metagovernance: Do Actors, Networks and Systems Matter? Does Metagovernance Matter? The Effects on Network Performance Conclusion References Chapter 8: The Unbearable Lightness of Coherence Within Local Governance Arrangements Introduction On the Importance of Coherence Coherence as an Outcome Variable The Unbearable Lightness of Coherence Conclusion References Chapter 9: Throughput Legitimacy in European Local State-Society Networks Introduction Disentangling the Notion of Throughput Legitimacy in Local Governance Networks Measuring Throughput Legitimacy in European Local Governance Networks Assessing Throughput Legitimacy in European Local Governance Networks Conclusions References Chapter 10: Collaborative Governance and the Rescaling of Local-State Society Networks Introduction The Scalar Configuration of Local Governance Collaborative Scaling and Territorial Reforms Upscaling and Boundary Spanning Awareness Local State-Society Relations in the Context of Globalization Conclusion: Territory, Place, Scale, Networks References Part II: Network-Specific Insights on Local State-Society Relations Chapter 11: The Prevalence of Low-Relevance Networks in Central and Eastern Europe and the Post-Communist Legacy Introduction Policy Relevance Challenges: Regional Differences and the CEE Context Sample and Methodological Notes Empirical Data: The Specificity of Network Relevance Within CEE Countries How Can the Specificities of Local State-society Networks in the CEE Countries Be Explained? Discussion and Conclusions References Chapter 12: Advisory Councils at the Local Level: Do they Add Value for Participation? Introduction Consultation: Conceptual Framing Consultative Networks: What Are They? Role of a Network in Municipal Decision Making Conclusion References Chapter 13: How Members of Youth Network in Europe Perceive Their Influence Introduction Institutions and Influence Youth Councils and Networks on Youth Issues in Europe Influence Explanations Conclusions and Discussion References Chapter 14: Participation Without Influence? On the Role of Councils for Elderly and Councils on Disability Introduction Participation and Influence: A Theoretical Debate From the Ladder of Citizen Participation to the Democracy Cube Presentation of the Networks: General Characteristics The Role of the Councils Perceptions of Influence Conclusion References Chapter 15: Organized Business and Trade Unions in Local Governance Introduction Local Governance and Business: State of Literature Attribution of Influence: Conceptualization and Method Business Influence in Local Governance Local Business and Trade Unions: Characteristics and Network Experiences Overview of the Subset Local Business and Local State-Society Networks Trade Unions and Local State-Society Networks Conclusion References Chapter 16: Alike in Diversity? Local Action Groups in Nine European Countries Introduction Diverse Arrangements and Dynamics Within an EU Common Frame Rules of Operation Versus Reality Perception of Autonomy, Coherence, and Relevance of the Network Good Governance in LAGs Conclusions References Chapter 17: Power to Rule: The Perception of Power and Relevance in Local Educational Networks in Europe Introduction Power and Influence Within Societal Networks Methods and Selection of Cases Network Members on Power and Influence Do Networks Influence Local Government Authorities in their Decision-Making? Does the Network Have a High Level of Autonomy in Relation to Local Government Authorities? How Would You Rate the Overall Degree of Autonomy of Your Network in Determining the Way it Works? How Relevant Are the Decisions? Discussions Conclusions References Annex I: How Was the Survey Conducted in the Individual Countries? Austria Members of the Local Foreigners’ Advisory Councils Members of the Local Health Working Groups Members of the Biosphere Park Committees Members of the Advisory Councils of the Regional Labor Service Agencies Croatia Members of the Youth Councils Members of the School Boards Members of the Local Development Agencies Members of the Local Action Groups Czech Republic Members of the Municipal Board Commissions and the Municipal Council Committees Members of the Local Action Groups England Members of the Local Action Groups Members of the Local Economic Partnerships Belgium (Flanders) Members of the Boards of Local Action Groups Finland Members of the Local Action Groups Germany Members of the Administrative Committees of the Local Agencies for Employment? Members of the Advisory Boards of the Local Job Centers? Members of the Local Youth Welfare Committees Members of the Local Foreign Residents’ Advisory Councils Members of Local Economic Development Agencies/Companies Greece Iceland School Councils Neighborhood Councils Ireland Strategic Policy Committees Local Community Development Committees Local Development Companies Italy Latvia Lithuania Members of the NGO Councils Members of Boards of Local Action Groups Members of the Youth Councils Members of the Tripartite Councils Members of the Councils of Culture and Arts Norway Members of the Council for the Elderly and Council for People with Disabilities Members of the Young People’s Parliament and Youth Council Members of the Economic Development Committees Members of the Committees for Voluntary Organizations Members of the Sub-municipal Bodies Poland Committees for the Prevention of Alcohol Problems Local Action Groups Portugal Children and Youth Protection Commissions (CPCJ) Municipal Forest Fire Defense Commissions (CMDFCI) Municipal Education Councils (CME) Spain Members of Local Action Groups Members of Consultative School Councils Members of Consultative Councils for the Elderly Sweden Switzerland Semi-Autonomous Local School Boards in Newly Merged “Unitary Municipalities” Consultative Mixed School Committees in Selected French Speaking Cantons Executive Boards of Local Tourism Organizations The Netherlands Advisory Boards Social and Health Policy Neighborhood and Village Councils Annex II: Data about the Survey Index