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The influence of the welfare state type and autonomy on the local network activities of European mayors

Belzer, Ingrun (2018) The influence of the welfare state type and autonomy on the local network activities of European mayors.

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Abstract:Little is known about the connection between welfare state types and local mayoral networks. The topic of municipal networks recently gained attention with the publication of Benjamin Barber’s book If mayors ruled the world, as the assertion was made that especially municipalities provide the governance networks needed to face global challenges. This bachelor thesis assesses the potential relationship between different welfare state regimes and local networks within a comparative country study. The quantitative data used for this research were provided by the POLLEADER II survey conducted from 2014 till 2016, an Europewide questionnaire for mayors of municipalities with at least 10.000 inhabitants. The main research interest of this study is to examine the differences in levels of local network activity between welfare state regimes. A special focus is set on how the level of local autonomy (financial and decision-making autonomy) influences this relationship. It will also be assessed, if the level of local network activity varies between different policy issues. The main empirical research question of this study is: How does the respective welfare state type shape financial and decision-making autonomy of municipalities and to what extent does this autonomy influence the network activity of mayors regarding certain issues? The results of this thesis indicate that the influence of the respective welfare state type on local network activity is limited. The data implied that the welfare state type is not a good indicator for local autonomy, as also national factors shape the level of local autonomy. A regression between local financial autonomy and local decision-making autonomy as independent variables and local network activity as dependent one was not statistically significant. Regressions split among welfare state types was only statistically significant in one case and indicated a negative relation. Keywords: European mayors, Welfare State Regimes, Local Autonomy, Country Comparison, Local Financial Autonomy, Local Decision-making Autonomy
Item Type:Essay (Bachelor)
Faculty:BMS: Behavioural, Management and Social Sciences
Subject:70 social sciences in general, 71 sociology, 88 social and public administration, 89 political science
Programme:Management Society and Technology BSc (56654)
Link to this item:https://purl.utwente.nl/essays/75732
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