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Local Government in a Challenged World

Democracy
Elections
Governance
Local Government
Political Leadership
Political Participation
Public Policy
Comparative Perspective
S37
Silvia Bolgherini
Dipartimento di Scienze Politiche, Università degli Studi di Perugia
Björn Egner
Technische Universität Darmstadt

Endorsed by the ECPR Standing Group on Local Government and Politics


Abstract

In the turmoil of the recent crises, institutions and citizens have faced unprecedented circumstances. This is true for the ongoing pandemic as well as for the global financial crisis of 2008/09 and other pivotal societal changes (climate change, demographics, ageing societies, etc...). Crises are forcing governments, including those at the local levels, to manage difficulties on top of other long-time present challenges they face, often re-inforcing or accelerating ongoing developments. This section aims to disentangle the multiple challenges local government in Europe and beyond is facing in current times, both by studying the challenges themselves and the responses local governments are using to counter problems. How do local governments react to the challenges imposed? Do global crises trigger a change also in the handling of already existing challenges? Are crises further constraints, or do they also help discover new innovative avenues at the local level (in public policies, in administration/organization, in multi-level relations, in service delivery, in democratic procedures and representation, in local politics, etc.)? Have crises changed local democracy and how local governments relate to their citizens (e.g., local political leadership, political rules, etc.) and vice versa (electoral participation, participatory democracy, etc.)? Furthermore, are crises the cause of the kind and extent local governments manage their tasks (by multi-level, inter-institutional, cross-border cooperation, contracting-out, merging, etc.)?
Code Title Details
P051 Citizens, Cities, and Civil Society View Panel Details
P100 Democratic Innovation and Local Administrations: Power Dynamics, Institutional Constraints, Strategic Interaction View Panel Details
P194 Impacts of the COVID-19 Pandemic in Local Governments: Qualitative and Quantitative Approaches View Panel Details
P195 Impacts of the COVID-19 Pandemic in Local Governments: Qualitative and Quantitative Approaches II View Panel Details
P240 Local climate governance and leadership View Panel Details
P242 Local Elections, Local Parties and Local Reforms View Panel Details
P243 Local government in times of changing urban-rural relations: Territorial reform, second-tier local governments and inter-municipal cooperation as remedies? View Panel Details
P244 Local service delivery and local policies View Panel Details
P304 Policy coordination and intergovernmental relations from local to national in multi-level systems View Panel Details