000			02072naa a2200193uu 4500
001			9092115001113
003			OSt
005			20190211165412.0
008			090921s2009 xx ||||gr |0|| 0 eng d
100	1		_aVETTER, Angelika _937642
245	1	0	_aCitizens versus parties : _bexplaining institutional change in german local government, 1989-2008
260			_bTaylor & Francis, _cfebruary2009
520	3		_aFrom 1989 to 2008, local governments in Germany have experienced 'massive' institutional change. Local constitutions have been altered in all German states giving citizens more say in local politics, while at the same time reducing local parties' influence. The paper first describes the changes according to two analytical models of local democracy. It then tries to explain the institutional change as a process of diffusion in a federal state. Three questions are answered in the explanatory part: Why did some forerunner states start with the reforms at the beginning of the 1990s and not earlier? Why did the reforms continue in other states although there was no general pressure from above? And why did some states continue with the reforms while others did not? In the first part of the paper the changes are described quantitatively while a qualitative approach is used in the explanatory part. The analyses show that the beginning of the reforms is related to 'massive political failure' while further reforms are a result of rational learning by different actors (large parties, small parties, non-governmental actors) depending on different means of reform. Based on these results we forecast a continuation of the reforms in the next years leading to a convergence of citizen-oriented local government all over Germany.
590			_aInstitutional change; Germany; mayors; direct democracy; electoral system; electoral threshold
773	0	8	_tLocal Government Studies _g35, 1, p. 125-142 _dTaylor & Francis, february2009 _xISSN 03003930 _w
942			_cS
998			_a20090921 _b1500^b _cmayze
998			_a20090922 _b1458^b _cCarolina
999			_aConvertido do Formato PHL _bPHL2MARC21 1.1 _c30017 _d30017
041			_aeng