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Federations of Municipalities: A Practical Alternative to Local Government Consolidations in Japan?
Author(s) -
Jacobs A. J.
Publication year - 2004
Publication title -
governance
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.46
H-Index - 76
eISSN - 1468-0491
pISSN - 0952-1895
DOI - 10.1111/j.1468-0491.2004.00245.x
Subject(s) - consolidation (business) , local government , government (linguistics) , service delivery framework , business , service (business) , economics , public administration , political science , economy , finance , linguistics , philosophy
This article examines the merits of Wide Area Federations of Municipalities (MFs) as a public service delivery alternative to local government consolidation in Japan. It argues that MFs provide localities with a reasonable option to mergers where amalgamations are politically or geographically impractical, such as in sparsely populated, mountainous, and agricultural areas. Conversely, it maintains that MFs are less practical, efficient, and common in urbanized regions. These findings, the article concludes, suggest a new era of local government in Japan has begun. In this period, to be known as The Race for Local Power , national policies have provoked a new wave of municipal mergers.