Austin M Aldag
Biographic Data
| ID | 2393989 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Austin M Aldag |
| GIVEN NAMES | Austin M |
| FAMILY NAME | Aldag |
| SIGNATURE | ALDAG A M |
| AFFILIATIONS | Cornell University |
| ORCID | 0000-0003-2542-9252 |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 13 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 120 |
| AUTHOR COUNT | 13 |
| EDITOR COUNT | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2018 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2026 |
| H-INDEX | 5 |
Pragmatic remunicipalisation across diverse geographies in the US
How do place characteristics (markets, politics, need and capacity) affect levels of remunicipalisation? Using national surveys (2012–2017) that cover 70 commonly provided public services by 539 local governments across the US, we find two thirds of respondents remunicipalised at least one service. The level of remunicipalisation was higher in larger places with more poverty, and lower in places with more competitive markets and better contract m…
Can Florida’s Coast Survive Its Reliance on Development: Fiscal Vulnerability and Funding Woes Under Sea Level Rise
Problem, research strategy, and findings With its densely built coastline and economic and fiscal reliance on development, Florida is an extreme case of how climate change threatens both the built environment and urban land governance. We conducted one of the first statewide assessments of how sea level rise will affect Florida’s municipal revenues. We paired this with a statewide survey of coastal planners and managers to assess how they have be…
Public Trust in Covid-19 Tracking Technology: A Survey of Attitudes About Hong Kong’s LeaveHomeSafe Mobile App
The effectiveness of governments in addressing the Covid-19 pandemic has been analyzed through numerous perspectives, including state authority, capacity, and legitimacy. In Hong Kong, incumbent political tensions and lack of trust in government potentially weakened public support for official Covid-19 mitigation measures, which included a government-mandated mobile application to monitor personal movements and contacts. This episode invites acad…
Public trust and support for government technology: Survey insights about Singapore's smart city policies
Pandemic relief spending by New York local governments
Privatization and intermunicipal cooperation in US local government services: Balancing fiscal stress, need and political interests
The 2007–2008 Global Financial Crisis renewed interest in New Public Management tools. Privatization and intermunicipal cooperation are the two most common forms of service delivery reforms among US local governments. Which is more responsive to fiscal stress, service needs and political interests? Our national survey of 2,109 US local governments in 2017 finds cooperation is more responsive to fiscal stress and community need, while privatizatio…
Blocking the progressive city: How state pre-emptions undermine labour rights in the USA
While some US cities and states have taken the lead in protecting labour rights, a counter-trend is found in state pre-emptions – state laws that prohibit cities from making any ordinances or laws related to certain policy areas. What drives these state-level actions that undermine progressive city leadership in the USA? We examine recent state legislations that pre-empt city authority to regulate labour conditions and protect labour rights in th…
Pragmatic Municipalism: U.S. Local Government Responses to Fiscal Stress
This article updates cutback management theory and challenges austerity urbanism theory by showing that local governments practice pragmatic municipalism—protecting services with a balanced response to fiscal stress. Using a 2017 national survey of 2,341 U.S. municipalities and counties, the authors identify four responses—no specific action, cuts, revenue supplements, and deferrals. Structural equation models show that cuts are higher in places …
It Depends on What You Share: The Elusive Cost Savings from Service Sharing
Intermunicipal cooperation is the most prevalent alternative service delivery method for US local governments. While aspirations for budgetary savings are one motivating factor, increased service quality and regional coordination are also important goals. We use an original 2013 survey of local governments in New York State to assess the level of service sharing and outcomes. We match our survey with 20 years (1996–2016) of service-level costs da…
Austerity urbanism or pragmatic municipalism? Local government responses to fiscal stress in New York State
As local governments respond to fiscal stress after the global financial crisis, some scholars warn about an austerity urbanism response wherein local governments cut and privatize services, while others see a pragmatic municipalism response that seeks to protect public services by sharing services, applying for more grants, or charging user fees. Existing empirical works lack detail about the types of local government responses and their drivers…
Leviathan or Public Steward? Evidence on Local Government Taxing Behavior from New York State
Fiscal federalism argues local governments compete to provide optimal tax-service bundles as responsible public stewards. In contrast, Leviathan theories argue tax and expenditure limitations (TELs) are necessary to make local governments fiscally responsible. We analyze local taxing behavior in New York State, which implemented a levy limit in 2012 that allows legislative overrides with 60 percent vote of the local governing board. Our 2017 surv…
Who votes for mayor? Evidence from midsized American cities
Who, or what, governs the mosaic of the almost 39,000 general purpose local governments across the United States? While the determinants of voter turnout in both national and sub-national elections have been well studied, there is a dearth of empirical literature examining voter turnout at the municipal level. Utilizing an original dataset of 356 midsized US cities drawn from the Midwest, South, and Northeast regions, this paper ponders the drive…
Cooperation, not cost savings: Explaining Duration of Shared Service Agreements
Among local governments, inter-municipal cooperation is the growing reform; but the literature is silent regarding the determinants of longer-term shared service agreements. We conducted a survey of all local governments in New York State in 2013 to assess the level of sharing across 29 public services. The duration of shared service agreements varies from 1 to 80 years. What explains this difference? Our hierarchical linear model shows that serv…
Austerity urbanism or pragmatic municipalism? Local government responses to fiscal stress in New York State
As local governments respond to fiscal stress after the global financial crisis, some scholars warn about an austerity urbanism response wherein local governments cut and privatize services, while others see a pragmatic municipalism response that seeks to protect public services by sharing services, applying for more grants, or charging user fees. Existing empirical works lack detail about the types of local government responses and their drivers…
It Depends on What You Share: The Elusive Cost Savings from Service Sharing
Intermunicipal cooperation is the most prevalent alternative service delivery method for US local governments. While aspirations for budgetary savings are one motivating factor, increased service quality and regional coordination are also important goals. We use an original 2013 survey of local governments in New York State to assess the level of service sharing and outcomes. We match our survey with 20 years (1996–2016) of service-level costs da…
Cooperation, not cost savings: Explaining Duration of Shared Service Agreements
Among local governments, inter-municipal cooperation is the growing reform; but the literature is silent regarding the determinants of longer-term shared service agreements. We conducted a survey of all local governments in New York State in 2013 to assess the level of sharing across 29 public services. The duration of shared service agreements varies from 1 to 80 years. What explains this difference? Our hierarchical linear model shows that serv…
Leviathan or Public Steward? Evidence on Local Government Taxing Behavior from New York State
Fiscal federalism argues local governments compete to provide optimal tax-service bundles as responsible public stewards. In contrast, Leviathan theories argue tax and expenditure limitations (TELs) are necessary to make local governments fiscally responsible. We analyze local taxing behavior in New York State, which implemented a levy limit in 2012 that allows legislative overrides with 60 percent vote of the local governing board. Our 2017 surv…
Blocking the progressive city: How state pre-emptions undermine labour rights in the USA
While some US cities and states have taken the lead in protecting labour rights, a counter-trend is found in state pre-emptions – state laws that prohibit cities from making any ordinances or laws related to certain policy areas. What drives these state-level actions that undermine progressive city leadership in the USA? We examine recent state legislations that pre-empt city authority to regulate labour conditions and protect labour rights in th…
Who votes for mayor? Evidence from midsized American cities
Who, or what, governs the mosaic of the almost 39,000 general purpose local governments across the United States? While the determinants of voter turnout in both national and sub-national elections have been well studied, there is a dearth of empirical literature examining voter turnout at the municipal level. Utilizing an original dataset of 356 midsized US cities drawn from the Midwest, South, and Northeast regions, this paper ponders the drive…
Pandemic relief spending by New York local governments
Cooperation, not cost savings: Explaining Duration of Shared Service Agreements
Among local governments, inter-municipal cooperation is the growing reform; but the literature is silent regarding the determinants of longer-term shared service agreements. We conducted a survey of all local governments in New York State in 2013 to assess the level of sharing across 29 public services. The duration of shared service agreements varies from 1 to 80 years. What explains this difference? Our hierarchical linear model shows that serv…
Austerity urbanism or pragmatic municipalism? Local government responses to fiscal stress in New York State
As local governments respond to fiscal stress after the global financial crisis, some scholars warn about an austerity urbanism response wherein local governments cut and privatize services, while others see a pragmatic municipalism response that seeks to protect public services by sharing services, applying for more grants, or charging user fees. Existing empirical works lack detail about the types of local government responses and their drivers…
Leviathan or Public Steward? Evidence on Local Government Taxing Behavior from New York State
Fiscal federalism argues local governments compete to provide optimal tax-service bundles as responsible public stewards. In contrast, Leviathan theories argue tax and expenditure limitations (TELs) are necessary to make local governments fiscally responsible. We analyze local taxing behavior in New York State, which implemented a levy limit in 2012 that allows legislative overrides with 60 percent vote of the local governing board. Our 2017 surv…
Who votes for mayor? Evidence from midsized American cities
Who, or what, governs the mosaic of the almost 39,000 general purpose local governments across the United States? While the determinants of voter turnout in both national and sub-national elections have been well studied, there is a dearth of empirical literature examining voter turnout at the municipal level. Utilizing an original dataset of 356 midsized US cities drawn from the Midwest, South, and Northeast regions, this paper ponders the drive…
Pragmatic Municipalism: U.S. Local Government Responses to Fiscal Stress
This article updates cutback management theory and challenges austerity urbanism theory by showing that local governments practice pragmatic municipalism—protecting services with a balanced response to fiscal stress. Using a 2017 national survey of 2,341 U.S. municipalities and counties, the authors identify four responses—no specific action, cuts, revenue supplements, and deferrals. Structural equation models show that cuts are higher in places …
It Depends on What You Share: The Elusive Cost Savings from Service Sharing
Intermunicipal cooperation is the most prevalent alternative service delivery method for US local governments. While aspirations for budgetary savings are one motivating factor, increased service quality and regional coordination are also important goals. We use an original 2013 survey of local governments in New York State to assess the level of service sharing and outcomes. We match our survey with 20 years (1996–2016) of service-level costs da…
Privatization and intermunicipal cooperation in US local government services: Balancing fiscal stress, need and political interests
The 2007–2008 Global Financial Crisis renewed interest in New Public Management tools. Privatization and intermunicipal cooperation are the two most common forms of service delivery reforms among US local governments. Which is more responsive to fiscal stress, service needs and political interests? Our national survey of 2,109 US local governments in 2017 finds cooperation is more responsive to fiscal stress and community need, while privatizatio…
Blocking the progressive city: How state pre-emptions undermine labour rights in the USA
While some US cities and states have taken the lead in protecting labour rights, a counter-trend is found in state pre-emptions – state laws that prohibit cities from making any ordinances or laws related to certain policy areas. What drives these state-level actions that undermine progressive city leadership in the USA? We examine recent state legislations that pre-empt city authority to regulate labour conditions and protect labour rights in th…
Pandemic relief spending by New York local governments
Can Florida’s Coast Survive Its Reliance on Development: Fiscal Vulnerability and Funding Woes Under Sea Level Rise
Problem, research strategy, and findings With its densely built coastline and economic and fiscal reliance on development, Florida is an extreme case of how climate change threatens both the built environment and urban land governance. We conducted one of the first statewide assessments of how sea level rise will affect Florida’s municipal revenues. We paired this with a statewide survey of coastal planners and managers to assess how they have be…
Public Trust in Covid-19 Tracking Technology: A Survey of Attitudes About Hong Kong’s LeaveHomeSafe Mobile App
The effectiveness of governments in addressing the Covid-19 pandemic has been analyzed through numerous perspectives, including state authority, capacity, and legitimacy. In Hong Kong, incumbent political tensions and lack of trust in government potentially weakened public support for official Covid-19 mitigation measures, which included a government-mandated mobile application to monitor personal movements and contacts. This episode invites acad…
Public trust and support for government technology: Survey insights about Singapore's smart city policies
Pragmatic remunicipalisation across diverse geographies in the US
How do place characteristics (markets, politics, need and capacity) affect levels of remunicipalisation? Using national surveys (2012–2017) that cover 70 commonly provided public services by 539 local governments across the US, we find two thirds of respondents remunicipalised at least one service. The level of remunicipalisation was higher in larger places with more poverty, and lower in places with more competitive markets and better contract m…
Economics (11 works) · Political science (9 works) · Public Administration (7 works) · Public Administration (7 works) · Business (6 works) · Local government (6 works) · Local Government Finance and Decentralization (6 works) · Politics (6 works) · Public economics (5 works) · Economic growth (4 works)