Municipal Amalgamations in the Low Countries: Same Problems, Different Solutions

Ceuninck, Koenraad De; Reynaert, Herwig; Steyvers, Kristof; Valcke, Tony

doi:10.1080/03003930.2010.522082

Cited by 48 publications

(18 citation statements)

References 14 publications

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“…Arguments in favour of territorial upscaling are often related to higher levels of efficiency and effectiveness in service provision (Steiner 2002;John 2010;Reingewertz 2012), whereas the arguments against amalgamation claim that smaller units perform better in terms of democracy and participation (Ladner and Bühlmann 2007;De Ceuninck et al 2010;Lassen and Serritzlew 2011). For decisions concerning future territorial rescaling, it is crucial to regard evaluative knowledge on the effects of amalgamation and avoid making decisions solely based on expectations.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 97%

Effects of amalgamations: evidence from Swiss municipalities

Steiner

Kaiser

2016

Public Management Review

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Many OECD countries have amalgamated their municipalities during the last couple of decades. For decisions concerning future territorial rescaling, it is crucial to augment the previously inconclusive evaluative knowledge of the effects of mergers. This paper examines the effects of amalgamations conducted between 1998 and 2009 in the areas of public service delivery, local finance, administrative staff, municipal autonomy and local democracy. The data are obtained from two comprehensive surveys of all local secretaries (top civil servants) in Switzerland in 1998 and 2009. The analysis -based upon a comparison between a quasi-experimental and a control group -(partially) supports the hypothesis of a positive effect on public service delivery, the professionalization of staff and municipal autonomy. The effect on local finance is inconclusive, and negative effects on local democracy are not discovered in the framework of this study.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 97%

Effects of amalgamations: evidence from Swiss municipalities

Steiner

Kaiser

2016

Public Management Review

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“…The incorporation of different local communities in an amalgamated municipality increases the diversity of interests and preferences. This destabilises the local political system, it undermines consensus formation and stimulates a form of municipal politics based on confrontations (Kjaer and Klemmensen 2015;De Ceuninck et al 2010;Aulich, Sansom, and McKinlay 2014;Hanes 2015). The growing administrative effectiveness is thus at least partly offset by a decline in popular support and participation.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 94%

Territorial changes and changing identities: how spatial identities are used in the up-scaling of local government in the Netherlands

Terlouw

2016

Local Government Studies

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This article analyses the use of local identities by local communities in two Dutch municipalities. This research was commissioned by the Dutch Ministry of the Interior to better understand the role of local identities in municipal amalgamations. This article develops a conceptual framework based on the distinction between a primary identity based on the widely recognised dominant characteristics of the local community, and a secondary identity based on how communities within a municipality have learned over time to deal with these different primary local identities. During an amalgamation, this secondary identity disappears with the old municipality.

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“…The interest in council amalgamations is also evident among European scholars who have studied this issue for France, Germany, Italy, and Spain (Dollery and Robotti ) as well as Eastern Europe (Swianiewicz ), Denmark (Vrangbæk ), Greece (Hlepas ), Macedonia (Kreci and Ymeri ), Belgium, and the Netherlands (DeCeuninck et al. ). More recently, contributors to a two‐part Special Edition of Public Finance and Management have also examined the impact of local government amalgamations for Australia (Dollery et al.…”

Section: Empirical Analysis Of Amalgamationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Is Biggest Best? A Comparative Analysis of the Financial Viability of the Brisbane City Council

2015

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Structural reform through forced mergers has been a dominant feature of Australian local government for decades. Advocates of compulsory consolidation contend that larger municipalities perform better across a wide range of attributes, including financial sustainability. Although empirical scholars of local government have invested considerable effort into investigating these claims, no one has yet examined the performance of Brisbane City Council against other local authorities, despite the fact that it is by far the largest council in Australia. This paper seeks to remedy this neglect by comparing Brisbane with Sydney City Council, an average of six southeast Queensland councils and an average of 10 metropolitan New South Wales councils against four measures of financial performance over the period 2008-2011.

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Municipal Amalgamations in the Low Countries: Same Problems, Different Solutions

Cited by 48 publications

References 14 publications

Effects of amalgamations: evidence from Swiss municipalities

Effects of amalgamations: evidence from Swiss municipalities

Territorial changes and changing identities: how spatial identities are used in the up-scaling of local government in the Netherlands

Is Biggest Best? A Comparative Analysis of the Financial Viability of the Brisbane City Council

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