Suchergebnisse

Does intergovernmental structure have a systematic effect on the impacts of local governments' fiscal policy responses? Using empirical data from more than 800 local governments in five countries, the article concludes that intergovernmental structure is associated with the impact attributed to various fiscal management strategies. Such strategies have generally had greater impact in local governments in federal systems than those in unitary state systems.There are similarities between federal and unitary local governments regarding the fiscal management strategies that have least impact, and both types stress the importance of productivity gains via technology. But the differences in relative importance and level of impact are more striking than the similarities. In particular, fiscal management strategies involving the relations of the local government with other governments, such as obtaining intergovernmental revenue and shifting service provision to other governments, have greater impact in significantly more federal systems than in unitary state systems. These federal local governments also experience greater impacts from increasing user charges and raising local taxes. In contrast, local governments in unitary state systems place greater reliance on the more politically expeditious strategy of across–the–board expenditure reductions and on reductions of capital spending.These findings suggest that local governments in more decentralized systems have greater flexibility to manipulate relations with other governments in order to enhance their own fiscal situation. The data also suggest that the government's level of fiscal stress is not systematically associated with the level of impact from most fiscal management strategies, especially in the unitary state systems.

Based on data from 800 local governments in Australia, Denmark, Finland, France, and the US.

It is argued that the impacts of computer technology on society are an extraordinarily important area for rigorous social scientific research. However, there is currently only a modest amount of empirical research & a dearth of cumulative findings on this subject, & the conceptual & theoretical approaches informing the research are weak. After specifying the primary sources of the understandings about the social impacts of computing, a taxonomy of impacts & a conceptual framework that might guide social scientific research on this subject are suggested. Finally, eight broad generalizations that can be derived from the existing empirical research on the social impacts of computing are summarized. 1 Table, 1 Figure, 80 References. HA

There have been substantial recent efforts to use public policy measures to limit public taxing and spending in the United States. These fiscal limitations policies are analysed, with primary attention on the explanations for and the effects of Proposition 13, the measure enacted by California voters in June 1978. More broadly, the characteristic features of fiscal limitations measures in the United States are explicated. These measures attempt to place constitutional or statutory constraints on a government's expenditure levels, on its revenue generation capabilities, or on the nature of its fiscal policy-making process. The data and analysis suggest that some of the fundamental forces underlying fiscal limitations measures might emerge in many 'First World' political systems and that such measures, as a policy innovation, might diffuse widely.

There have been substantial efforts recently to use public policy measures to limit public taxing & spending in the US. These fiscal limitations (FL) policies are analyzed, with primary focus on Proposition 13, the measure enacted by Calif voters in June 1978. Characteristic features of FL measures in the US are explicated. These measures place constitutional or statutory constraints on a government's expenditures, on its revenue generation capabilities, & on the nature of its fiscal policy-making process. The data & analysis suggest that fundamental forces in FL measures might emerge in many First World political systems, & these measures might diffuse widely. 1 Table. HA.

In the searchfor innovations which might generate productivity gains in local govern ment, substantial attention has focused on the utilization of computers and automated information systems. The evaluations of more than 2,600 local government personnel in 42 American cities reveal that local governments have enjoyed some productivity gain attributed to computer applications, particularly with respect to increased work volume. Employing contingency theory as a conceptual framework, this article then assesses whether between-government variations in these productivity gains can be accounted for by size contingencies, technological contingencies, political contin gencies, or the user-technician interface. It is established that intergovernmental variations in productivity gains from computers are most powerfully associated with the nature of the user-technician interface and are somewhat associated with political contingencies.