Evaluating the Structure of Local Government

The Importance of Tiers

Bibliographic Data

ID6113249
AuthorsMichael S Cole (0000-0001-9644-8181, University of Glamorgan Business School), Michael Cole (0000-0003-3055-8593, University of South Wales, corresponding author), George A Boyne (University of Wales), George Boyne (Cardiff University)
Year1996
Volume11
Issue1
Pages63-73
Publication date1996-03-01
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenuePublic Policy and Administration (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0952-0767 • E-ISSN: 1749-4192
PublisherSAGE Publications Inc (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1177/095207679601100106
OpenAlexW2010766067
LanguageEN
Citations received3
References cited10

The concept of a tier is central to the structure of local government. However there has been no clear definition of the concept, and the term has been applied in vague and inconsistent ways. Furthermore, no procedure exists for identifying the number of tiers in a local government system. In order to resolve these problems a pure model of a hierarchical local government tier structure is outlined, and the concepts of parallel, partial and comprehensive tiers are introduced and defined. This framework is then applied to the British debate about unitary authorities. It is shown that these units are not single-tier author ities but form part of a vertically fragmented structure. In consequence many of the arguments used in favour of the current structural changes to British local government are not valid because they assume that the reforms will create single-tier units

Business · Economic system · Economics · Local government · Political science · Unitary state · Fiscal Policies and Political Economy · Law · Local Government Finance and Decentralization · Public Administration · Public Policy and Administration Research

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