The Rise of Regional Authority A Comparative Study of 42 Democracies [Hardcover]

Most countries around the globe have one or two levels of regional or intermediate government, yet we have little systematic idea of how much authority they wield, or how this has changed over time.

This book measures and explains the formal authority of intermediate or regional government in 42 advanced democracies, including the 27 EU member states. It tracks regional authority on an annual basis from 1950 to 2006. The measure reveals wide variation both cross-sectionally and over time. The authors examine four influences  functional pressures, democratization, European integration, and identity  to explain regionalization over the past half-century.

This unique and comprehensive volume will be a vital resource for students and scholars of comparative politics, public administration and public management, federalism, democratization, nationalism, and multilevel governance.

1. Measuring Regional Authority  2. Operationalizing Regional Authority  3. Validation of the Regional Authority Index  4. An Era of Regionalization  Appendix A: Profiles of Regional Reform in 42 Countries (19502006)  Appendix B: Country and Regional Scores

This book represents a major advance in the study of regional government and spatial rescaling. It is a fascinating study in its own right, but also an invaluable data set for scholars of comparative government and politics. - Michael Keating, Professor of Politics, University of Aberdeen

This book is a must for any scholar, student and politician who want to know more about how governments are structured. It combines cutting-edge methodology with the authors deep knowledge of regions. - Beate Kohler-Koch, Professor at the International Graduate School of the Social Sciences, Bremen

The Regional Authority Index will sló©