Local Government and Administrative Modernization from a comparative perspective

The course imparts knowledge about local government systems and administrative modernization, particularly at the local level of government, from a (Western) European cross-country-comparative perspective. Students receive an overview of the institutional structures, the functional responsibilities and the decision-making processes at the local level of government as well as on pertinent conceptual approaches to study comparative local government. Moreover, the course enables students to analyze various reform concepts and results. These include institutional reforms in the multi-level system as well as reforms in service delivery, management and the organization of sub-national administrations. Have the reforms left behind lasting traces in the direction of a new managerial (NPM-)administration? Has a paradigm shift from the "Weberian" bureaucracy to the New Public Management occurred so far? Can we also observe unintended consequences of reform or even a re-emergence of the "Weberian" administration? We will also focus on territorial and functional reforms (decentralization, de-concentration, amalgamation, cooperation, shared services) and participatory reforms, such as the introduction of direct democracy (referenda, direct election of the mayors) and other instruments of citizen involvement (consultation, "user democracy" etc.).

Each session is composed of lectures (40 min), providing an introduction into the topic, followed by students’ presentations (20 min) and discussions (20 min).