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Local Government Structure and the Co-ordination of Economic Development Policy

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  21 July 2015

Joseph Lyons
Joseph Lyons*
Affiliation:
University of Western Ontario
*
Department of Political Science, University of Western Ontario, London ON, N6A 5C2, Email: jlyons7@uwo.ca
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Abstract

This paper explores how local government structure affects policy co-ordination. It compares the delivery of economic development services in two Ontario cities. In London, a specialized agency is the lead, but lacks full functional control, while in Hamilton policy control is consolidated in a single municipal department. The findings support the hypothesis of those who argue in favour of general-purpose governments, as the municipal hierarchy in Hamilton was instrumental in achieving policy co-ordination. Proponents of specialization argue that it limits the need for co-ordination between governments but, as the London case demonstrates, this logic breaks down when there are too many players with too few responsibilities.

Résumé

Cet article explore la façon dont la structure gouvernementale locale affecte la coordination des politiques. Il compare la prestation des services de développement économique dans deux villes de l'Ontario. A London, une agence spécialisée dirige les politiques, mais manque d'un contrôle fonctionnel complet tandis qu'à Hamilton la direction et le contrôle des politiques sont consolidés en un seul département municipal. Les résultats soutiennent l'hypothèse de ceux qui plaident en faveur des gouvernements à usage général, parce que la hiérarchie municipale à Hamilton a réussi à jouer son rôle dans la réalisation de la coordination des politiques. Les partisans de la spécialisation soutiennent qu'il limite la nécessité d'une coordination entre les gouvernements, mais comme le montre le cas de London, cette logique se décompose quand il y a trop de joueurs avec trop peu de responsabilités.

Type
Research Article
Information
Canadian Journal of Political Science/Revue canadienne de science politique , Volume 48 , Issue 1 , March 2015 , pp. 173 - 193
Copyright
Copyright © Canadian Political Science Association (l'Association canadienne de science politique) and/et la Société québécoise de science politique 2015 

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