The issue of cooperation in metropolitan areas has long been on the agenda of both practitioners and theorists. For instance, Major Peters of Boston claimed in an address as early as 1919 that the lack of regional unity had severe adverse effects on his city in economic, social and political terms (Wallis 1994a: 160-161). On the core of this lies the notion that many problems in urban areas cross political and administrative boundaries, thus requiring regional solutions. Some examples for such problems are environmental pollution, traffic congestion, unemployment, poverty and ghetto-building (Hamilton 1999: 280-310; see also Heinz 2000a: 509-514). In practice, various attempts have been made to solve these problems, reaching from informal cooperations in limited issue areas to strong formal regional institutions with extensive competencies (Wallis 1994a, 1994b).
Among scholars, there is an ongoing debate about metropolitan cooperation which is in large parts concerned with the advantages and disadvantages of powerful regional institutions . This paper explores whether it makes sense at all to speak about the "power" of regional institutions. Even though such authorities have been considerably strengthened in legal terms in some cases, it is questionable whether this translates into increased actual power. After all, some scholars argue that state institutions in general do not have sufficient resources for policy-making in modern societies (Schneider 2000). This paper thus deals with the following question: Do attempts to legally strengthen regional institutions result in an overall increase of their power?
To answer this question, two regional institutions in Germany are examined in a comparative case study, namely the "Verband Region Stuttgart" (VRS) and the "Region Hannover" (RH). The analysis is based on indicators derived from the concept of power by Stokman (1995), who models an actor′s power as consisting of its voting power, resources and access to the decision-making center. It is shown that the RH is stronger than the VRS both in terms of legal strength and potential power. Legal strength of regional institutions indeed seems to translate into actual power. A possible explanation for this is found in the differing institutional surroundings of the two regional authorities.
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Table of Contents
1 Introduction
2 Literature Overview
3 Framework of Analysis
3.1 Theoretical Framework
3.2 Specification of Constructs
3.3 Operationalizations
3.3.1 Formal Strength
3.3.2 Overall Potential Power
4 Study Design
4.1 Methods
4.2 The Cases
5 Comparative Case Studies
5.1 Formal Strength
5.1.1 Legal Base
5.1.2 Election Rule
5.1.3 Decision-Making Rule
5.1.4 Source of Finance
5.1.5 Number of Tasks
5.1.6 Binding Force
5.1.7 Summary
5.2 Overall Potential Power
5.2.1 De-facto Decision-Making
5.2.2 Share of Officials from other Political Levels
5.2.3 Amount of Financial Resources
5.2.4 Number of Staff
5.2.5 Distance to Center of Decision-Making
5.2.6 Summary
6 Discussion and Conclusion
Objectives and Topics
The primary objective of this research is to analyze whether legally strengthening regional state institutions effectively increases their overall power in modern, functionally differentiated societies. The study addresses the research question of whether institutional legal strengthening translates into greater potential power for regional authorities, using a comparative case study approach.
- Examination of the power dynamics within regional state institutions.
- Comparative analysis of the Verband Region Stuttgart (VRS) and the Region Hannover (RH).
- Operationalization of power using indicators like formal strength, resources, and access to decision-making centers.
- Evaluation of the "Organization State" theory and the impact of institutional surroundings.
Excerpt from the Book
3.2 Specification of Constructs
The power of an actor within a policy-network will be defined in this paper according to Stokman (1995) as the potential to influence valuable collective outcomes. This depends on three elements of power, namely: voting power, i.e. the competencies of an actor in the formal decision-making process, the resources an actor can use to promote its own preferences, and the access an actor can gain to the decision-making center before the actual decision is made.
The effects of these elements can be explained using Stokman’s (1995) two-stage model of decision-making: An actor’s access toward other important actors and its resources constitute its ability to influence other actor’s issue-positions at time t, before the actual decision is made. At t+1, those actors possessing voting power make the decision based on their actual issue positions.
Modeling power this way has several advantages: First, it takes into account the relational character of power (Stokman 1995: 160) – power exists towards the other actors (by influencing their issue positions respectively by imposing decisions on them) and it affects actual decisions to be made within a social system. Second, it enables to differentiate between formal aspects of power and the actual potential to influence decisions, as it is necessary to deal with the question at hand in this study: The formal strength of an actor consists of its formal voting power, i.e. its legal competencies to make decisions. An actor’s actual potential to influence decisions depends on its de-facto voting power (i.e., the degree by which legal competencies are actually used), the resources an actor can raise to influence decisions and the possibilities it has to gain access to the center of decision-making. The hypothesis stated above would be supported if it were possible to show that an actor’s ability to influence decisions is not influenced by its formal voting power.
Chapter Summaries
1 Introduction: This chapter introduces the ongoing debate on metropolitan cooperation and presents the paper's research question regarding the power of regional state institutions.
2 Literature Overview: This section provides a brief review of scholarly positions on metropolitan regionalism, ranging from reformist arguments to public-choice theories and modern network approaches.
3 Framework of Analysis: This chapter establishes the theoretical framework based on the "Organization State" concept and operationalizes power using indicators of formal strength and potential power.
4 Study Design: The study design details the qualitative, comparative case study methodology focusing on the Verband Region Stuttgart and the Region Hannover.
5 Comparative Case Studies: This chapter conducts a detailed empirical assessment of the two regions, measuring their formal strength and potential power through various indicators.
6 Discussion and Conclusion: The final chapter summarizes the findings, interprets the divergence from the initial hypothesis, and provides concluding thoughts on the feasibility of empowering regional institutions.
Keywords
Metropolitan Governance, Regional Cooperation, Verband Region Stuttgart, Region Hannover, Formal Strength, Potential Power, Policy Networks, Organization State, Institutional Reform, Decision-making, Regional Planning, Decentralization, Public Services.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the fundamental focus of this research paper?
The paper examines whether legal strengthening of regional state institutions leads to an actual increase in their power within modern societies.
What are the primary thematic areas covered?
The research explores regionalism, the organizational design of state institutions, decision-making capabilities, and the role of resources in political power.
What is the central research question?
The central question is: Do attempts to legally strengthen regional institutions result in an overall increase of their power?
Which scientific methodology is utilized?
The research utilizes a qualitative, comparative case study methodology to analyze two German regional institutions.
What is discussed in the main body?
The main body details the theoretical framework, operationalizes indicators of formal strength and potential power, and applies these to the Stuttgart and Hannover regions.
Which keywords best characterize this work?
Key terms include Metropolitan Governance, Regional Cooperation, Formal Strength, Potential Power, Policy Networks, and Organizational State.
How does the institutional environment affect the results?
The study concludes that the institutional surrounding is critical; successful empowerment is more feasible if the regional authority replaces competing institutions like district governments.
Is the Region Hannover more powerful than the Verband Region Stuttgart?
Yes, the study finds that the Region Hannover possesses greater formal strength and potential power, primarily due to its status as a territorial authority and its wider scope of tasks.
- Quote paper
- Frank Walter (Author), 2003, Metropolitan Governance in Germany - Comparing the Regions of Stuttgart and Hannover, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/11767
