
Institutional Constraints and Policy Choice
An Exploration of Local Governance
State University of New York Press
Published on 12. April 2001
Book
Hardback
164 pages
978-0-7914-4913-4 (ISBN)
Description
Demonstrates how governmental structure and institutional rules determine who gets what in American cities.
Institutional arrangements constitute the "rules of the game" for any civil and political society. To understand urban politics and policy making, including issues dealing with economic development, zoning, constituency representation, government borrowing, and service contract decisions, discovering institutional regularities is key. To achieve this the authors combine older institutional approaches emphasizing formal structure and governance organizations with newer approaches and transaction cost theory. Institutional Constraints and Policy Choice contends that institutional arrangements both shape and are shaped by human behavior, and when combined with contextual factors and the uncertainty associated with leadership turnover provide the basis of understanding how decisions are made at the level of local government.
Institutional arrangements constitute the "rules of the game" for any civil and political society. To understand urban politics and policy making, including issues dealing with economic development, zoning, constituency representation, government borrowing, and service contract decisions, discovering institutional regularities is key. To achieve this the authors combine older institutional approaches emphasizing formal structure and governance organizations with newer approaches and transaction cost theory. Institutional Constraints and Policy Choice contends that institutional arrangements both shape and are shaped by human behavior, and when combined with contextual factors and the uncertainty associated with leadership turnover provide the basis of understanding how decisions are made at the level of local government.
Reviews / Votes
"This book could have a profound effect on how we both study and teach local government decision making. It encourages local government scholars to once again include variables representative of local institutional arrangements in equations seeking to explain local government decision making." - J. Edwin Benton, University of South Florida"Institutional Constraints and Policy Choice should be a standard among urban oriented graduate courses. It summarizes a broad literature and integrates the latest research and methods, and demonstrates the connection between theory, method, and hypothesis testing. It is the best book written on this topic." - Max Neiman, University of California, Riverside
More details
Language
English
Place of publication
Albany, NY
United States
Target group
College/higher education
Professional and scholarly
US School Grade: College Graduate Student and over
Product notice
sewn/stitched
Cloth over boards
Dimensions
Height: 235 mm
Width: 156 mm
Thickness: 16 mm
Weight
336 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-7914-4913-4 (9780791449134)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions

James C. Clingermayer | Richard C. Feiock
Institutional Constraints and Policy Choice
An Exploration of Local Governance
E-Book
04/2001
State University of New York Press
€34.99
Available for download
Persons
James C. Clingermayer is Assistant Professor of Political Science at Northern Kentucky University. Richard C. Feiock is Professor of Public Administration and Policy at Florida State University.
Content
Preface
Acknowledgments
CHAPTER 1
Institutional Foundations of Local Governance
CHAPTER 2
Institutional Incentives and Policy Choice
CHAPTER 3
Constituencies, Contacting, and Casework
CHAPTER 4
Leadership Turnover and the Delivery of City Services
CHAPTER 5
Turnover, Time Horizons, and Credible Commitments: The Politics of Long-Term Obligations
CHAPTER 6
External Constraints and Local Policy Choice
CHAPTER 7
Conclusion: Institutions and Local Government
Notes
References
Index
Acknowledgments
CHAPTER 1
Institutional Foundations of Local Governance
CHAPTER 2
Institutional Incentives and Policy Choice
CHAPTER 3
Constituencies, Contacting, and Casework
CHAPTER 4
Leadership Turnover and the Delivery of City Services
CHAPTER 5
Turnover, Time Horizons, and Credible Commitments: The Politics of Long-Term Obligations
CHAPTER 6
External Constraints and Local Policy Choice
CHAPTER 7
Conclusion: Institutions and Local Government
Notes
References
Index