Reshaping public administration and hybrid local government under depopulation: evidence from Japan, the US, and Australia

2021 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 19K01490
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 06010:Politics-related
• Research Institution: Doshisha University
• Principal Investigator: NODA YU 同志社大学, 政策学部, 教授 (20552839)
• Project Period (FY): 2019-04-01 – 2022-03-31
• Keywords: リージョナルガバナンス / シェアードサービス / 広域連携

Outline of Final Research Achievements

The drivers of effective governmental arrangements identified in this study were a form of government that allows for proper management of human resources, trust for collaboration among municipalities, and a moderate commitment to municipalities from higher levels of government, such as prefectures and the national government. In the U.S., the effectiveness of human resource management through the council manager form of government was examined, and in Australia, efficient service delivery through flexible subsidiarity among municipalities was explored. In Japan, municipalities with declining populations are facing the challenges of how to make their administrative operations sustainable with limited policy resources. In this context, the study revealed that effective regional governance through horizontal relationships among municipalities and vertical relationships between prefectures and municipalities can achieve beneficial collaborative outcomes.

Free Research Field

地方自治

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

制度的集合行為の分析フレームに基づく研究が諸外国で蓄積されてきたが、基礎自治体と広域自治体の垂直的関係と市町村間の水平的関係の双方をふまえた連携成果の因果は、依然定量的検証が十分ではない。そうした中でそれらの政府間関係をふまえ、連携成果との関係を明らかにしたというのが研究の独自性である。また、上位政府の基礎自治体への財政効率向上効果や一部事務組合と事務の委託の効果の相違を明らかにしたという知見も新規性がある。各地域の人口減少を背景に財政格差の状況が異なるが、そうした地域構造要因よりも市町村間の信頼をはじめとした心理的要因に基づく水平的連携効果の高さを明らかにしたことは枢要な社会的意義である。