Metropolitan Governance(American Governance and Public Policy Series): Conflict, Competition, and Cooperation

This book examines the organization of governments in metropolitan areas and the consequences of the types of organization for both politics and policy. It will be the first book to bring together competing perspectives on the question of centralized vs. decentralized regional government, written by some of the top people in the field (whose books I've been pursuing). In particular, it explores the dynamics of decentralized systems of governance and the ways governments cooperate and compete. Some of the themes throughout the book include social capital, institutional collective action, the role of special districts, and the conflict between efficiency and equity.

Individual chapters look at different theories of governance (the process of governing, as opposed to the institutions), the politics of choice of the type of government, the role of suburbs, and some specific hot topics: local economic development initiatives, the role of the suburbs, morality laws, charter schools, and globalization.