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.
[...]
Inhaltsverzeichnis (Table of Contents)
- Introduction
- Literature Overview
- Framework of Analysis
- Theoretical Framework
- Specification of Constructs
- Operationalizations
- Formal Strength
- Overall Potential Power
- Study Design
- Methods
- The Cases
- Comparative Case Studies
- Formal Strength
- Legal Base
- Election Rule
- Decision-Making Rule
- Source of Finance
- Number of Tasks
- Binding Force
- Summary
- Overall Potential Power
- De-facto Decision-Making
- Share of Officials from other Political Levels
- Amount of Financial Resources
- Number of Staff
- Distance to Center of Decision-Making
- Summary
- Formal Strength
- Discussion and Conclusion
Zielsetzung und Themenschwerpunkte (Objectives and Key Themes)
This paper investigates whether attempts to legally strengthen regional institutions result in an overall increase of their power. It aims to explore the concept of power in regional institutions by examining two case studies in Germany: the "Verband Region Stuttgart" (VRS) and the "Region Hannover" (RH). The analysis is based on indicators derived from Stokman's model of power, which considers voting power, resources, and access to decision-making centers.
- The significance of legal strength in regional institutions.
- The relationship between legal strength and actual power.
- The role of institutional surroundings in influencing the power of regional authorities.
- Comparative analysis of two German regional institutions.
- The concept of power as applied to regional governance.
Zusammenfassung der Kapitel (Chapter Summaries)
- Introduction: This chapter introduces the issue of metropolitan cooperation and its relevance to urban problems. It highlights the debate surrounding the power of regional institutions and the need to assess whether legal strengthening translates into increased actual power. The paper focuses on analyzing two German regional institutions: the "Verband Region Stuttgart" (VRS) and the "Region Hannover" (RH).
- Literature Overview: This chapter provides a concise overview of different scholarly positions on metropolitan cooperation. It examines the arguments of reformists who advocate powerful metropolitan institutions and those of public-choice theorists who favor fragmented local governments. The chapter also discusses more modern approaches to regionalism and the need for some form of regional cooperation.
- Framework of Analysis: This chapter develops a theoretical framework for the study and operationalizes the key concepts. It outlines the theoretical framework based on Stokman's model of power, which considers voting power, resources, and access to the decision-making center. The chapter also specifies the constructs and operationalizations used in the analysis.
- Study Design: This chapter describes the methods and cases used in the study. It outlines the comparative case study approach and introduces the two regional institutions, VRS and RH, which will be compared. The chapter explains the methods used to collect and analyze data.
- Comparative Case Studies: This chapter presents the empirical findings of the study. It examines the legal strength and potential power of both regional institutions based on the operationalized indicators derived from Stokman's model. The chapter analyzes each indicator individually and provides a summary of the findings for each institution.
Schlüsselwörter (Keywords)
This study explores the concept of power in metropolitan governance and its relationship to legal strengthening of regional institutions. It analyzes two case studies in Germany, focusing on the "Verband Region Stuttgart" (VRS) and the "Region Hannover" (RH), examining their formal strength and overall potential power based on Stokman's model. The study delves into the interplay of voting power, resources, and access to decision-making centers, highlighting the significance of institutional surroundings in shaping the power dynamics of regional authorities.
- 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
