Balancing cooperative federalism with local autonomy: subnational governments and governance in Germany

Eckersley, P. ORCID: 0000-0001-9048-8529, 2024. Balancing cooperative federalism with local autonomy: subnational governments and governance in Germany. In: C.N. Avellaneda and R.A. Bello-Gómez, eds., Handbook on subnational governments and governance. Elgar Handbooks in Public Administration and Management . Cheltenham: Edward Elgar, pp. 299-311. ISBN 9781803925363

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Abstract

Germany’s subnational governance arrangements are a legacy of the constitutional framework that the Western Allies established for the Federal Republic in the aftermath of World War II, as well as its pre-1933 history of decentralisation and local autonomy. The country’s 16 states exert significant influence at the national level through the Bundesrat (second parliamentary chamber) and oversee their own distinctive local government systems. Nonetheless, there is close co-operation between tiers of governance in policymaking and implementation. This “cooperative federalism” can help to mobilise action where consensus exists, but also hinder progress in more controversial policy sectors. This chapter shows how these intergovernmental dynamics play out in terms of public management reforms and local climate policy. Specifically, it highlights how Germany’s system of subnational governance led to a highly patchwork implementation of New Public Management-type initiatives across the country, and a similarly uneven approach to climate mitigation and adaptation.

Item Type:	Chapter in book
Creators:	Eckersley, P.
Publisher:	Edward Elgar
Place of Publication:	Cheltenham
Date:	19 March 2024
ISBN:	9781803925363
Identifiers:	Number Type 10.4337/9781803925370 DOI 1627822 Other
Rights:	This is a draft chapter/article. The final version is available in Handbook on subnational governments and governance edited by Claudia N. Avellaneda and Ricardo A. Bello-Gómez , published in 2024, Edward Elgar Publishing Ltd. Available at: http://dx.doi.org/10.4337/9781803925370.00031
Divisions:	Schools > Nottingham Business School
Record created by:	Laura Ward
Date Added:	05 Apr 2024 10:10
Last Modified:	05 Apr 2024 10:10
URI:	https://irep.ntu.ac.uk/id/eprint/51203

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