Local government administrators have embraced intergovernmental collaboration as a viable alternative in the delivery of public programs for many years, characterizing an increasing emphasis on interlocal cooperation as a response to common problems and situational needs. In the process of collaboration, local governments often use a combination of linking mechanisms, ranging in degrees of formality and specificity. This study longitudinally examines the administrative networks and mutual organizations that comprise the collaborative mechanisms of municipalities in the state of Nebraska. The findings suggest that, over time, the nature and use of interlocal cooperation mechanisms have shifted toward the more informal and general varieties.

This analysis examines the effects of political culture on the nature and practice of professional local government management by comparing the structures, responsibilities, and relationships of city administrative executives in the democratic countries of the United States and Norway. The findings suggest that, despite fundamental differences in societal institutions and settings, American and Norwegian city managers serve similar roles in their respective local government organizations. However, the notable variations in the processes of municipal management identified between the two nations appear to reflect the contextual influence of divergent political foundations on the operational environment of professional public administrators.

This research longitudinally examines the association between levels of state Medicaid prescription spending and the state strategies intended to constrain cost increases: the negotiated pricing strategy, as indicated by state rebate programs, and the price transparency strategy, as indicated by state operation of All-Payer Claims Databases. The findings demonstrate evidence that state Medicaid prescription spending is influenced by the negotiated pricing strategy, especially Managed Care Organization (MCO) rebates under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, but not influenced by the price transparency strategy. State decisions for MCO rebates, such as carving prescription benefits into managed care benefits, were effective in containing levels of Medicaid prescription spending over time, while other single- and multi-state rebate programs were not. Based on these findings, state policymakers may consider utilizing the MCO rebate program to address increases in Medicaid prescription spending.

The connection of theory to practice in public administration represents a critical transfer of information between scholarship and application. This important relationship establishes a basis of exchange among those engaged in the field, a bond that may be most magnified and accessible at the local levels of government. This study examines the perspectives of practitioners and scholars toward improving the theory-practice exchange in local government management through a series of focus group interviews held at the International City/County Management Association (ICMA) annual conference over 4 years. The findings suggest that the scholar and practitioner communities agree on several approaches and principles that may contribute to enhancing the theory-practice exchange within the themes of research transaction, collaboration, and professionalism. These themes offer mutual contexts for theory-practice interactions, which may help to inform institutional integration and best practice models, and facilitate a functional coexistence of interdependence and improved exchangeability in local government management.

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