Changing Attitudes Towards Territorial Municipal Reforms – The Case of Inland Norway
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.4335/18.2.271-292(2020)Keywords:
municipal amlgamation, territorial reforms, citiyens' attitudes, anticipated consequences, NorwayAbstract
Inland people’s attitude towards municipal amalgamation reform in Norway from 2013 to 2018 has become more positive. However, a majority does not support the ongoing reform, but the changes have been substantial during such a short time period. However, these changes seem not to be a result of new and more positive judgements of the reforms’ results and outcome. By contrast, the majority has been more critical of anticipated consequences of the amalgamation reform into larger municipalities. Instead, we considered the changes as a type of ‘resignation’ towards a reform pressure from the national government and general changes in their environment. More citizens’ assess that positive municipal economic development and more local competence are favourable effects of mergers, and this finding supports this claim. The reform is likely to catch up with their local units anyway, and the citizens’ attitudes are adapting to what they expect will occur in the upcoming years.
References
Calciolari, S., Cristofoli, D. & Macciò, L. (2013) Explaining the reactions of Swiss municipalities to the 'Amalgamation wave', Public Management Review, 15(4), pp. 563-583.
Christensen, T., Lægreid, P. & Røvik, K. A. (2015) Organisasjonsteori for offentlig sektor (Oslo: Universitetsforlaget).
Ebinger, F., Kuhlmann, S. & Bogumil, J. (2019) Territorial reforms in Europe: effects on administrative performance and democratic participation, Local Government Studies, 45(1), pp. 1-23, https://doi.org/10.1080/03003930.2018.1530660.
Grenwood, R., Oliviver, C., Sahlin, K. & Suddaby, R. (2008) The SAGE Handbook of Organizational Institutionalism (London: Sage).
Hall, P. A. & Taylor, R. C. R. (1996) Political Science and the Three New Institutionalisms, Political Stuidies, 44(5), pp. 936-957.
Hardin R. (2002) Trust and Trustworthiness (New York: Russel Sage Foundation).
Hellevik, O. (2016) Extreme nonresponse and response bias, Quality & Quantity, 50(5), pp. 1969-1991, https://doi.org/10.1007/s11135-015-0246-5.
Higdem, U., Lesjø, J. H., Mønness, E. & Høyer, H. C. (2016) Større kommuner og fylker? Reflektert syn blant innbyggerne, og konklusjonen er nei, Fagbladet Samfunn og Økonomi, 1, pp. 9-28.
Høyer, H. C. & Mønness, E. N. (2016) Trust in public institutions – spillover and bandwidth, Journal of Trust Research, 6(2), pp. 151-166, https://doi.org/10.1080/21515581.2016.1156546.
Ipos-MMI (2013) Norsk Monitor - En sosiokulturell studie, available at: http://ipsos-mmi.no/Norsk-Monitor (October 12, 2019).
Jacobsen, D. I. (2004) Holdninger til endring i kommunestruktur: En nyansering av Rose og Pettersen, Norsk Statsvitenskapelig Tidsskrift, 20, pp. 414-420.
Johnsen, Å. & Klausen, J. E. (2006) Kommunesammenslåingers politiske økonomi. En analyse av velgeratferd i rådgivende folkeavstemninger, Norsk Statsvitenskapelig Tidsskrift, 22, pp. 22-45.
KantarTNS (2018) Norsk gallup, available at: https://kantar.no/ (October 12, 2019).
Kushner, J. & Siegel, D. (2003) Effect of Municipal Amalgamations in Ontario on Political Representation and Accessibility, Canadian Journal of Political Science / Revue canadienne de science politique, 36(5), pp. 1035-1051.
March, J. G.ž, & Olsen, J. P. (1995) Democratic Governance (New York: The Free Press).
Poel, D. H. (2000) Amalgamation Perspectives: Citizen Responses to Municipal Consolidation, Canadian Journal of Regional Science, 23(1), pp. 31-48.
Rokkan, S. (1987) Stat, nasjon, klasse (5 ed.) (Oslo: Universitetsforlaget).
Rose, L., Klausen, J. E. & Winsvold, M. (2017) Holdninger til kommunereform: Hva er utslagsgivende?, In: S. Jo & D. A. Christensen (eds) Lokalvalget 2015 - et valg i kommunereformens tegn? (Oslo: Abstract forlag AS), pp. 267 - 300.
Rose, L. & Pettersen, P. A. (2003). Holdninger til endringer i kommunestruktur: To preferanser, to rasjonaliteter?, Norsk Statsvitenskapelig Tidsskrift, 19, pp. 240-275.
Rose, L. & Pettersen, P. A. (2005) Endringer i kommunestrukturen. Hva skiller motstanderne fra de velvillige?, In: Saglie, J. & Bjørklund, T. (eds) Lokalvalg og lokalt folkestyre (Oslo: Gyldendal Akadmisk), pp. 288-318.
Ryan, R., Hastings, C., Grant, B., Lawrie, A., Ní Shé, É. & Wortley, L. (2016) The Australian Experience of Municipal Amalgamation: Asking the Citizenry and Exploring the Implications, Australian Journal of Public Administration, 75(3), pp. 373-390, https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-8500.12182.
Sentio (2014) Sentio Research, available at: http://www.sentio.no/ (October 12, 2019).
Swianiewicz, P. (2018) If territorial fragmentation is a problem, is amalgamation a solution? – Ten years later, Local Government Studies, 44(1), pp. 1-10, https://doi.org/10.1080/03003930.2017.1403903.
Verhoeven, I. & Duyvendak, J. W. (2016) Enter emotions. Appealing to anxiety and anger in a process of municipal amalgamation, Critical Policy Studies, 10(4), pp. 468-485, https://doi.org/10.1080/19460171.2015.1032990.
