Local governments in comparative perspective

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

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.

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

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%)