Anmerkungen:
Veröffentlichungsversion
begutachtet (peer reviewed)
In: der moderne staat - dms: Zeitschrift für Public Policy, Recht und Management ; 8 (2015) 1 ; 113-127
Beschreibung:
Some countries have reduced the number of local units in a drastic way (e.g., Germany, United Kingdom, Denmark). In other countries, there have been no major territorial reforms (e.g. Switzerland, France). The purpose of this paper is to investigate the following main research question: What are the factors that influence a country’s merger activities? To answer this question, an analytical framework considering the institutional context, territorial structure, incentives for mergers, and so-called policy windows has been developed. 16 Western European countries have been selected for the analysis. Using Crisp-Set Qualitative Comparative Analysis (csQCA), this paper shows what configurations of factors are associated with a high merger activity: a) an open policy window when municipalities are small, b) an open policy window in municipalities with a low degree of local autonomy, or c) incentives given by higher-ranking state levels for amalgamations in small municipalities with a low degree of local autonomy.