Directly-elected mayors and the austerity agenda: lessons from the German experience

TY - JOUR

T1 - Directly-elected mayors and the austerity agenda

T2 - lessons from the German experience

AU - Eckersley, Peter

AU - Timm-Arnold, Peter

PY - 2014

Y1 - 2014

N2 - This paper identifies the key factors that have affected the ability of elected mayors in some German cities to introduce austerity measures in response to serious financial problems. Drawing on a detailed study of six municipalities in North Rhine-Westphalia, it highlights how the mayor's managerial and/or legal experience, as well as the party-political make-up of the council, played a vital role in determining the success of savings initiatives. Such findings have important implications for countries such as England, where some have argued for the introduction of elected mayors in order to improve decision-making capacity within local government.

AB - This paper identifies the key factors that have affected the ability of elected mayors in some German cities to introduce austerity measures in response to serious financial problems. Drawing on a detailed study of six municipalities in North Rhine-Westphalia, it highlights how the mayor's managerial and/or legal experience, as well as the party-political make-up of the council, played a vital role in determining the success of savings initiatives. Such findings have important implications for countries such as England, where some have argued for the introduction of elected mayors in order to improve decision-making capacity within local government.

KW - Austerity

KW - elected mayors

KW - Germany

KW - local government

KW - organizational capacity

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84904966616&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1080/09540962.2014.945803

DO - 10.1080/09540962.2014.945803

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:84904966616

SN - 0954-0962

VL - 34

SP - 347

EP - 354

JO - Public Money and Management

JF - Public Money and Management

IS - 5

ER -