Local Government

The study of local government examines subnational and municipal governance — its powers, finance, politics, and service delivery.

Scope

It covers local political institutions, intergovernmental relations and fiscal federalism, urban politics, and local service provision.

Core questions

• How is local government organized and financed?
• How do localities compete and cooperate?
• What constrains local policy?
• How are local services delivered and governed?

Key concepts

• Fiscal federalism
• Tiebout sorting
• Intergovernmental relations
• Urban politics
• Local service delivery
• Municipal finance

Key theories

Voting with your feet

Tiebout argued mobility among localities lets residents reveal preferences for local public goods.

City limits

Peterson argued cities are constrained by economic competition to pursue development over redistribution.

History

Local-government study combines fiscal-federalism theory (Tiebout) with the political economy of cities and urban politics (Peterson), and intergovernmental and service-delivery analysis.

Debates

How autonomous are local governments?

Whether localities can pursue independent policy or are constrained by economic competition (Peterson).

Key figures

• Charles Tiebout
• Paul Peterson

Seminal works

• tiebout-1956
• peterson-1981

Frequently asked questions

What is the Tiebout model?

The theory that people 'vote with their feet' by choosing localities whose taxes and services match their preferences.