Description
Book SynopsisElgar Research Agendas outline the future of research in a given area. Leading scholars are given the space to explore their subject in provocative ways, and map out the potential directions of travel. They are relevant but also visionary.
This insightful Research Agenda takes a thematic approach to analysing reform in regional and local government, exploring central concepts such as devolution, Europeanisation and globalisation. Expert contributors address key trends in structural change and reorganisation, subnational autonomy and decentralisation, metropolitan governance, and multi-level governance.
Chapters explore managerial innovations and reform, democratic participation and leadership, and populism at local and regional levels. Identifying promising research avenues in these fields, the Research Agenda reflects on the effects of the 2008 global financial crisis, and potential lessons that are arising for subnational governments following the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic. It concludes that although the 2008 crisis has had some impact on territorial governance, there is greater continuity than radical change.
Addressing particular themes and trends from a comparative perspective, this Research Agenda will be critical reading for scholars and students of international politics, urban studies and regional studies.
Trade Review‘The volume offers rich research ideas relating to the study of regional and local governance dynamics from a comparative perspective.’ -- Antonia Baraggia, Publius: The Journal of Federalism
‘I cannot help but enthuse about this book. Each of the chapters is well written. They are accessible for students but are also of value to researchers. The comprehensive literature reviews, mapping how the research in each topic area has evolved, reinforces pre-existing knowledge. Yet, the comparative nature of these reviews may introduce aspects previously unconsidered by those who study single countries.’ -- Alistair Jones, Journal of Urban Affairs
‘This book provides a great starting point for those wanting to think through the multiple research issues confronting local and regional government. Whether the focus is economic performance, public service management, reorganisation or public engagement, the various chapters provide up-to-date and insightful accounts on how things stand in light of the long-term impact of the financial crisis of 2007/8.‘ -- Gerry Stoker, University of Southampton, UK
‘One of the defining features of post-war Western development has been the rise of regional and local autonomy. How has the 2008 financial crisis intervened with long-term trends in subnational governance? This excellent collection brings together top scholars in the field to take up this question. Each contribution provides fresh thinking on enduring questions of territorial reform. This book is a must-read.‘ -- Liesbet Hooghe, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, US, and European University Institute, Italy
Table of ContentsContents: 1 A thematic approach to the research agenda for regional and local government 1 Mark Callanan and John Loughlin 2 Local and regional autonomy – indexes and trends 19 Nicolas Keuffer and Andreas Ladner 3 Territorial restructuring: amalgamations, secessions and the financial crisis 35 Paweł Swianiewicz 4 Devolution, functional decentralization or recentralization? Convergence and divergence in the European territorial governance 49 Romain Pasquier 5 City-regional and metropolitan governance 63 Niamh Moore-Cherry, Andy Pike and John Tomaney 6 Economizing imaginaries of city-regionalism as politics of city-regionalization 79 Sami Moisio and Andrew E.G. Jonas 7 Regional and local government and the European Union 97 Mark Callanan and Michaël Tatham 8 Managerial reforms from a comparative perspective: European subnational governments in the post-New Public Management era 111 Sabine Kuhlmann 9 Citizen involvement in subnational governance: innovations, trends and questions 133 Frank Hendriks and Ank Michels 10 Populism and representation at the regional and local levels 149 Silvia Bolgherini and Davide Vampa 11 Leadership at the subnational level: mayoral and executive models 163 Niels Karsten, David Sweeting, Ulrik Kjær and Simona Kukovič Index 177
