No abstract

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.

No abstract

State and local governments traditionally exerted leadership in policy areas that directly affected their communities and citizens. The leadership of cities, however, has expanded into a number of policy areas where the states and the national government have reduced their policy footprint. This article summarizes research on local policy leadership, examines it within the context of historical state–local intergovernmental relations, and reviews three expanding policy areas. As creatures of state government, localities are subject to legislative restrictions; however, recent research reveals a significant upsurge of state governments preempting policy actions of local governments. Therefore, it can be concluded that the flame of local government policy leadership burns brightly now, but forces appear to be gathering that may cause it to flicker.