Local Governance in Multi-Layered Systems : A Comparative Legal Study in the Federal-Local Connection

• Record Nr.: UNINA9910763591503321
• Autore: Nicolini Matteo
• Pubbl/distr/stampa: Cham : , : Springer, , 2023; ©2023
• ISBN: 9783031417924; 3031417925
• Edizione: [1st ed.]
• Descrizione fisica: 1 online resource (485 pages)
• Collana: Ius Gentium: Comparative Perspectives on Law and Justice Series ; ; v.108
• Altri autori (Persone): ValdesaliciAlice
• Soggetti: Local government; Federal government
• Lingua di pubblicazione: Inglese
• Formato: Materiale a stampa
• Livello bibliografico: Monografia
• Nota di contenuto: Intro -- Acknowledgement -- Contents -- Editors and Contributors -- Comparing and Contrasting Local Government in Federal Systems -- 1 A Problem of (Col)location -- 2 Re-locating Local Government in Federal Studies -- 3 How Many Tiers Are There? The Constitutional Regime of Local Government -- 3.1 `Local´ Constitutional Recognition -- 3.2 The Distribution of Competences over Local Government -- 3.3 Between Homogeneity and Asymmetry -- 4 The Regime of Local Government -- 5 `A Democratic Character´. The Scope of Local Autonomy -- 5.1 Territorial Demarcation -- 5.2 Allocating Functions at the Local Level -- 6 Local Finance: Beyond the Two-Tier Paradigm(s)? -- 6.1 `General´ Spending Power as a Challenge to the Two-Tier Paradigm? -- 6.2 Fiscal Centralisation as the Sword of Damocles over the Federal Paradigm? -- 6.3 The Mixed Paradigm as an Additional Category? -- 7 Concluding Remarks: Few Certainties and Still a Long Way to Go -- References -- Part I: The Federal-Local Connection in Mature Federations -- The US Local Government Organisation: Origins, Development, and Federal Implications -- 1 Introduction -- 2 The Development of Local Governments in the US -- 3 The Basic Features of US Local Governments -- 3.1 County Governments -- 3.2 Municipal Governments -- 3.3 Township Governments -- 3.4 Special Districts -- ; 3.5 School Districts -- 4 Sources of Funding for Local Governments -- 5 The Relationships Between State and Local Governments from the Perspective of US Federalism -- 6 Conclusions -- References -- Local Governments in the Canadian Federal System: Institutions, Jurisdiction and Cooperation -- 1 Introduction -- 2 The Context of Local Governments in Canada -- 3 Structure and Institutions of Local Governments -- 4 Jurisdiction over Local Governments -- 5 Intergovernmental Relations with the Provincial or Federal Governments.; 6 Horizontal Cooperation Between Local Governments -- 7 The Finance of Local Governments -- 8 Conclusion -- References -- Local Governance in the Swiss Federal System. Comparative and Alternative Approaches to the Traditional Paradigm -- 1 In-Context Overview of the System of Local Government -- 1.1 Constitutional Steps that Led to the Modern Swiss Federal State Municipalities -- 1.1.1 Constitution of 1848 -- 1.1.2 Constitutional Revisions of 1874 and 1998 -- 1.2 From Local Associations to Political Municipalities -- 1.2.1 From Local Associations to Political Municipalities -- 1.2.2 Swiss Municipalities Between Homogeneity and Heterogeneity -- 2 Structure and Institutions of Local Governments -- 2.1 Dual Role of the Municipalities -- 2.1.1 Political (or Constitutional) Level -- 2.1.2 Administrative Level -- 2.2 Other Subdivisions of Municipalities -- 2.2.1 Communes Bourgeoises -- 2.2.2 Public Law-Based Communities -- 3 Jurisdiction over Local Governments -- 3.1 Political Municipality: A Second Political Body -- 3.1.1 Principle of Subsidiarity -- 3.1.2 What It Means in Practice -- 3.2 Municipal Autonomy in Relation to the Cantons and the Federal Court -- 3.2.1 Interplay Between Municipalities and Cantons -- 3.2.2 Protection Before the Federal Court -- 4 Municipalities and Their Relation to Territorial Demarcation -- 4.1 How to Adjust Municipalities´ Boundaries and Their Functional Role -- 4.1.1 Territorial Changes of Cantons and Municipalities -- 4.1.2 Discrepancy Between Municipalities and Their Community of Interests -- 4.2 Amalgamation of Municipalities -- 4.2.1 Cantonal Incentives for Merging Municipalities -- 4.2.2 When a Municipality Joins Another Canton -- 5 Intergovernmental Relations with Local Governments -- 5.1 Local Governments in Relation with the Federal Level -- 5.2 Local Governments in Relation with Cantons -- 6 Horizontal Cooperation.; 6.1 Incentives to Inter-Municipal Collaboration -- 6.1.1 Sectors of Collaborations -- 6.2 Four Types of Inter-Municipal Collaborations -- 6.2.1 The Regional Conferences and the Entente Communales -- 6.2.2 The Associations of Municipalities and the Agglomerations -- 7 Local Finance -- 7.1 Competition at the Sub-National Level -- 7.1.1 Tax Competition Between Cantons -- 7.1.2 Structural Competition Between Municipalities -- 7.2 Sub-National Solidarity System -- 7.2.1 National Financial Equalisation Mechanism -- 7.2.2 Inter-Municipal Financial Equalisation Within the Cantons -- References -- Local Governments in Germany Between Growing Challenges and Precarious Budgets -- 1 In-Context Overview of the System of Local Government -- 2 In-Context Overview of the German System of Local Government -- 2.1 Historic Development and the Constitutional Framework Related to Local Level -- 2.2 The Local Level and Its Functions -- 2.3 Recent Development Trends -- 3 Structure and Institutions of Local Government(s) -- 4 Jurisdiction over Local Governments -- 5 Territorial Demarcation -- 6 Intergovernmental (Vertical and Horizontal) Relations -- 7 Local Finance -- 8 Conclusions -- References -- Local Government in Australia: Constitutionally Subordinate, but Vibrant and Fundamental -- 1 Overview -- 2 Structure and Institutions of Local Government -- 3 Legal Status of Local Government in Australia -- 4 Territorial ; Demarcation -- 4.1 Demarcation Within the State and Territory Jurisdictions -- 4.2 Regional Territorial Demarcation by the Federal Government -- 5 Intergovernmental Relations and Intermunicipal Cooperation -- 5.1 Intergovernmental Relations -- 5.2 Intermunicipal Cooperation -- 6 Local Government Finance -- 7 Conclusion -- References -- Local Governance in Austria: Diversity in Homogeneity.; 1 Introduction: Municipalities as the Third Territorial Level of the Republic -- 1.1 Historical Evolution -- 1.1.1 The Establishment of Uniform Municipalities During the Monarchy -- 1.1.2 District Authorities and the Transition from Monarchy to Republic -- 1.1.3 The Evolution of Local Governance in the B-VG -- 1.2 Three Layers of Homogeneity -- 1.2.1 Relative Socio-Economic Homogeneity -- 1.2.2 Strong Constitutional Homogeneity: The Exceptional Case of Austria -- 1.2.3 Functional Homogeneity of Municipalities -- 2 Institutional Design: Homogeneity with Exceptions and Länder Competence -- 2.1 The Concept of Municipal Uniformity and Its Exceptions -- 2.1.1 Vienna: Federal Capital, Land, and Municipality -- 2.1.2 Towns with Their Own Statutes and Further Asymmetries -- 2.2 Institutions of Municipalities -- 2.2.1 Homogeneous Elements: Three Necessary Institutions -- 2.2.2 Diversified Elements: Significant Scope for Länder Action -- 3 Material Design: Homogeneity, Two Spheres of Functions, and Double-Track Competence -- 3.1 Division into Two Spheres of Functions and Necessity of Task Allocation -- 3.2 Municipal Autonomy in the Autonomous Sphere of Functions -- 3.2.1 Scope and Characteristics -- 3.2.2 Legal Protection Before the Constitutional Court -- 3.3 Functional Federal or Länder Authorities in the Delegated Sphere of Functions -- 4 Territorial Demarcation: Central Role of the Länder -- 4.1 Federal Constitutional Framework -- 4.2 Länder Legislation -- 5 Collective and Individual Vertical Relations -- 5.1 Institutionalised Representation of Interests -- 5.2 Individual Relations with the Federation and the Länder -- 5.2.1 Parallel Relations According to Competences and Länder Dominance -- 5.2.2 Supervision and Other Examples -- 6 Horizontal Cooperation -- 6.1 Municipal Associations.; 6.2 Administrative Associations and Further Instruments of Cooperation -- 7 Local Finance: Elements of a Three-Layered Federalism with Federal Dominance -- 7.1 Fiscal Constitutional Act -- 7.2 Fiscal Equalisation Act -- 7.2.1 A Financial System Negotiated in a Political Three-Partner System -- 7.2.2 Resulting Revenue Structure -- 7.3 Consultation Mechanism and Stability Pact: A Legal Three-Partner System -- 8 Concluding Remarks -- References -- Part II: The Federal-Local Connection in Devolutionary Federations -- The Municipal Regime in Argentina -- 1 The Four Orders of Government of the Argentine Federation -- 2 The Status of Local Government in the Federal Constitution: Municipal Autonomy -- 3 The Municipal Regimes in the Provincial Constitutions -- 4 Municipal Organic Charters -- 5 Types of Local Governments -- 6 Constitutional Violations of Municipal Autonomy -- References -- The Municipality in the Mexican Federal System -- 1 Introduction -- 2 Theorical Framework: The Mexican Federal System -- 3 The Mexican Political System and the Local Entities -- 4 Organic Configuration of the Municipalities -- 4.1 The Mexican Municipality Within the Competencies System of the Mexican Federalism -- 4.2 The Sources of Local Financing -- 5 Mechanisms of Constitutional Control of the Local Governments -- 5.1 Judicial Control in Mexico -- 5.2 Federal Constitutional Control -- 5.3 Constitutional Controversy in the Local Governments -- 6 Conclusions -- References -- Local Governance in Belgium: A Taste of `Institutional Lasagna´ Belgian Style -- 1 Introduction -- 2 A General Overview: Collectivities ; and Administrations -- 3 A Regional Organisation, with Some Exceptions -- 4 Local Authorities -- 4.1 The Municipality -- 4.2 The Province -- 5 The Distribution of Competences Regarding Local Governance -- 5.1 The Constitutional Principles.; 5.2 Legislative Implementation.
• Sommario/riassunto: This book, part of the Ius Gentium series, explores the intricacies of local governance within multi-layered federal systems, presenting a comparative legal analysis of the federal-local connection. Edited by Matteo Nicolini and Alice Valdesalici, it examines the structures and challenges of local government in various countries, including the United States, Canada, Switzerland, Germany, Australia, and more. The book aims to provide insights into the functioning and evolution of local governments in federations and devolutionary states, highlighting issues of autonomy, jurisdiction, and cooperation. It serves as a resource for legal scholars, practitioners, and students interested in comparative law, legal theory, and international legal standards.