Across the globe, governments struggle to sufficiently represent their citizens. The breaking down of government responsibilities varies between countries, but one aspect that no country can agree on is what constitutes a municipality and how much responsibility a municipality should have. Should a city region be split into competing small municipalities, or should there be one municipal government for the entire region? Across Europe following World War II fragmentation due to land reform was favoured (Jurgenson, 2016, p. 34) whereas now in present day, consolidation seems to be more desirable by governments seeking to be more cost efficient (Carmichael & Midwinter, 1999, p. 163). As a means to compromise, city regions should be governed by a system that incorporates both aspects of fragmentation and consolidation. Through the analysis of economic effects, government issues, and cultural factors I will explore the benefits of municipal fragmentation and consolidation. A central occupation of a municipality is the distribution of funds to various services. Municipalities can face several difficulties in regard to their economy because of their lack of power and responsibilities. Fragmentation could aid municipalities according to Grassmueck and Shields (2009) in their study “Does government fragmentation enhance or hinder metropolitan economic growth?” that suggests “that regions with relatively fragmented governments had stronger relative economic performance over the
Changes in structure: The government is use to operating within a certain structure and with unification will come changes in structure for both the county and city governments. Under consolidation there will be fewer elected officials than normal along with an elected executive. This hybrid could bring about difficulties for both jurisdictions.
There are a variety of differences and similarities between federal, state, and local governments. This includes, but is not limited to, the responsibilities, size, and staff of the administration. The machinery of government is intended to better the quality of citizen’s lives. Ultimately, federal, state, and local governments were established to work together in bettering programs and laws (Berkley & Rouse, 2009, p.32).
New Federalism is also known as Competitive Federalism due consent struggle of the national and local government trying to be “equal.”
Even when it happens slowly, there is a need for experimentation, testing, adjusting, and replicating successful experiments in other contexts. Decentralization should not be considered as a process, but a way of life and a state of mind based on the principles of freedom respect and participation. Above all it is trusting and recognizing that people are capable of managing their affairs the need to close the gaps and differences between all levels of governance through interaction and sharing decentralization as consisting of interlocking rings of responsibilities from the center to the community. Decentralization should not be imposed, but that people should be imposed, but that people should be exposed to it, thereby honoring their intelligence and respecting their independence.
There is a separation between federal and local government when it comes to being accountable and providing solutions to urban issues due to federalism. This practice of federalism perpetuates racism and class status by making it difficult for minorities to participate in government due to their resources or lack thereof.
"Urban consolidation is the process of increasing or maintaining the density of housing in established residential areas. The ultimate aim of urban consolidation is to reduce development on the fringe areas of the city. It is often realised by densification, high-rise development and urban renewal." The process of Urban Consolidation involves an increase in the number of houses or apartments within existing areas so that they can have more efficient use of services and reduce the impact on the environment. Urban Consolidation is used as a means to reduce the total amount of land needed to house the population. Ultimately it is through the; demographics and population, changing nature of the built environment, and transport, that a study of urban consolidation in chatswood can be underaken.
-the relationship between a city and state government, the relationship between a city and the nation government, and the relationship between state and national government.
When a state is divided according to its geography and the division has some government
County Governments- County governments are organized local governments authorized in state constitutions and statutes. Counties and county-equivalents form the first-tier administrative division of the states. All the states are divided into counties or county-equivalents for administrative purposes, although not all counties or county-equivalents have an organized county government. County government has been eliminated through Connecticut and Rhode Island, as well as in parts of Massachusetts. The Unorganized Borough in Alaska also does not operate under a county level government. Additionally, a number of independent cities and consolidated city-counties operate under municipal governments that serve the functions of both city and county., Town or Township Governments - Town or township governments are organized local governments authorized in the state constitutions and statutes of 20 Northeastern and Midwestern states,[1] established to provide general
General-Law Cities are usually under a population of 5,000 or cities that have not adopted the home-rule style of government. With the state limiting the size of council, they also specify duties of the mayor, municipal officials, and emplacing additional boundaries on matters that home-rule can determine themselves. A downfall to this style of leadership is that with the small size getting someone with knowledge to come in and effectively manage the city and its
On a more local level there are governors, municipal governments, and mayors. The governors are elected by popular vote, but they were once appointed by the president. Each department has the right to establish lower governments known as municipal districts are. With in each district there is a municipal council which is elected by popular vote. The mayor is elected by popular vote to serve a two-year term, and just like the governors, the mayors used to be appointed by the presidents and controlled by the governor; all of this was changed with the 1991 constitution reform.
With regard to a mayor-council form, the system itself is based upon the presence of numerous factors which lead to the creation of a range of types which share one basic foundation. As suggested by the premise of this form of local government, the primary actors which come together to continue the sustenance of this framework include the mayor and the council, both of which must be elected (Center for Governmental Research 1). Consequently, the presence of these two parties within the wider framework entails the extent to which each actor holds a certain degree or extent of authority in managing the affairs of the city, this notion implies that the distribution of power and authority maybe classified as relative or absolute wherein it may favor the elected mayor or the elected council in terms of possession of power on the basis of the chosen variation of the mayor-council form of government.
To begin with, it is important to understand the city states did not outline the division of politics, society, religion, and economy as clearly as modern day western societies do or even
Sharing power amongst smaller regional states does allow for the government to have a check in power, and ensures that all of the constituents needs are being heard. With uprisings such as the Munchkinlander Militia, and the members of the Unionist church who are trying to secede from the government and declare autonomy, the federal government needs to have specific officials that oversee each lower government office, and report back to the Prime Minister, President, and members of Parliament on what is going on in each area. According to Dickovick and Eastwood, Federalism is helpful with ensuring stability and protection, promoting democratic inclusion, and providing economic unity (2015: 180). Following this idea of inclusion, Federalism ensures that public policy plans are free flowing between the constituents and the federal government, and it also monitors the states for signs of power plays or a
Moreover, the local governments also have their advantages. An advantage could be the focus they have on their people. Due to the even smaller size in people, they will tend to have more focus on the people. A second advantage could be that the local governments are under the state government´s control and not the national government´s control