Theory and Practice of Local Government Reform

Edited by Brian E. Dollery, Professor of Economics and Director, Centre for Local Government, University of New England, Armidale, New South Wales, Australia and Lorenzo Robotti, Professor of Public Economics, Dipartimento di Economia, Università Politecnica delle Marche, Ancona, Italy

• Contents:Preface1. IntroductionBrian Dollery and Lorenzo RobottiPART I: THE THEORY OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT REFORM2. Local Government and the Economics of FederalismBrian Dollery and Lorenzo Robotti3. Alternative Models of Local GovernmentBrian Dollery and Lorenzo Robotti4. Local Council Partnerships: A Theoretical ApproachDavid Bartolini and Fabio Fiorillo5. A Theoretical Model of Shared Service Arrangements in LocalGovernmentAntonio Palestrini and Paolo Polidori6. Financial Incentives for Municipal PartnershipsFabio Fiorillo and Giancarlo PolaPART II: THE PRACTICE OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT REFORM7. Structural Reform in AustraliaBrian Dollery and Joel Byrnes8. Structural Reform in CanadaAndrew Sancton9. Structural Reform in FranceAlain Guengant and Yvon Rocaboy10. Structural Reform in GermanyThomas Lenk and Christine Falken-Großer11. Structural Reform in ItalyBarbara Ermini and Samuele Salvucci12. Structural Reform in New ZealandMike Reid13. Structural Reform in SpainNúria Bosch and Javier Suárez PandielloPART III: POLICY IMPLICATIONS14. Common Themes on Structural ReformFabio Fiorillo and Barbara Ermini15. Local Government PolicyBrian Dollery and Lorenzo RobottiReferencesIndex

'This book substantially advances our knowledge of structural reform in local government. By combining new theoretical insight with policy developments in seven different developed countries, the book not only tests conceptual models against real-world experience in local government structural reform, but it also offers fresh perspectives on the most promising types of structural reform. Written by leading scholars from seven different countries, this book will become a standard work in the area of local government reform.'