The Attitudes of Consolidation Elites: An Empirical Assessment of Their Views of City‐county Mergers

Religion and regionalism : congregants, culture and city-county consolidation in Louisville, Kentucky.

“…Their data show that only nine percent of the responding county officials believed religious actors had a significant involvement in agenda-setting or the referendum stages of consolidation, respectively. Savitch and Vogel (2004) Much research on consolidation emphasizes elites or entrepreneurs' attitudes about consolidation and/or roles in placing the issue on the agenda and bankrolling electoral support (e.g., Durning and Edwards, 1992). While consolidation may be put on the agenda by elites, it is decided by the voting public.…”

Beyond the City–County Divide: Examining Consolidation Referenda Since 2000

“…The authors point out that many citizens understand the basics of economic development, financial issues, and other aspects of local governance; however, elite attitudes are important, as "opponents and proponents alike have the opportunity to define the issue for the public" (Johnson and Carr 2004, p. 247). Similarly, based on interviews with elites in Georgia, Durning and Edwards (1992) found that pro-consolidation campaigns often attempt to "educate" the public about the benefits of consolidation, while anti-consolidation campaigns often focus on potential threats by "raising emotional issues to help stave off the perceived attack on their pocketbooks, power, positions, or beliefs" (p. 373). For these reasons, campaign effects, although extremely difficult to model in local elections, likely play a large role in how information is presented to the electorate, and how issues are framed in each case.…”