Local governments in comparative perspective 3500-FAKANG-LGCP
The seminar focuses on the diversity of local government systems and
local democracies – mainly in European countries. It introduces a
comparative perspective in local government studies. Working with the
academic texts – which include both theoretical works and examples of
original empirical research – will allow the participants to better
understand the basic institutions of the local tier in multi-level political
systems.
Topics covered by the seminar include:
- The idea of self-government, political and legal justifications of local
self-government
- Decentralization in contemporary democracies, local autonomy and its
measurement
- The size of municipalities and the political geography of administrative
divisions
- Problems of territorial reforms at the municipal level
- Horizontal power relations in local governments – mayors, councils
and the local civil service
- Local representative democracy – local elections as second-order
elections
- Mechanisms of voting behavior in local elections
- Political representation of women among elected local authorities
- Inter-municipal cooperation
- Models of metropolitan governance
- Democratic innovations in local government
Rodzaj przedmiotu
Tryb prowadzenia
Założenia (opisowo)
Koordynatorzy przedmiotu
Efekty kształcenia
Students:
- know the most important elements of the institutional architecture of
local government and the differences between selected local government
systems in Europe, including its territorial structure, electoral systems,
institutions of inter-municipal cooperation
- can discuss the most frequently used typologies of local government
systems, models of horizontal power relations in local governments, and
selected indices of local autonomy
- are able to indicate dilemmas related to local government institutions
and administrative reforms affecting local level, take a position in the
discussion and justify their own view on resolving selected dilemmas
- understand the importance of local authorities for modern democracies
- can work with specialized academic literature
Kryteria oceniania
Methods: presentations, group discussion
Criteria: The final grade will be based on the written test, based on the
literature (60%), oral presentation (20%) and active participation in the
discussions (20%)
Literatura
Selected references (a detailed reading list will be provided during the
first meeting):
Gendźwiłł, A., Kjaer, U., Steyvers, K. (eds.) (2022), The Routledge
Handbook of Local Elections and Voting in Europe. Abingdon:
Routledge.
Heinelt, H. et al. (2018), Political Leaders and Changing Local
Democracy: The European Mayor. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan.
Ladner, A. et al. (2019), Patterns of Local Autonomy in Europe.
Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan.
Oliver, J.E., Ha S.E., Callen Z. (2012), Local elections and the politics
of small-scale democracy. Princeton: Princeton University Press.
Sellers, J., Lidstrom A., Bae Y. (2020), Multilevel Democracy: How
Local Institutions and Civil Society Shape the Modern State.
Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Teles, F. (ed.) (2023), Handbook on Local and Regional Governance.
Cheltenham: Edward Elgar Publishing.
Teles, F., Swianiewicz, P. (eds.) (2018), Inter-Municipal Cooperation in
Europe. Cham: Springer International Publishing.
Więcej informacji
Dodatkowe informacje (np. o kalendarzu rejestracji, prowadzących zajęcia, lokalizacji i terminach zajęć) mogą być dostępne w serwisie USOSweb: