State and Local Government and Public-Private Partnerships: A Policy Issues Handbook

(Hardback)

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No student of state and local government is more knowledgeable than Colman, so this substantial book is a welcome contribution. . . . strongly recommended for all college and university libraries. Choice State and local governments already bear, or are increasingly assuming, the primary legal, political, and fiscal responsibility for policy and program areas in which the highest degree of institutional capacity, commitment, competence, and integrity are essential. Among the issue areas that confront these governments over the coming decade are: the changing American economy and the requisite retraining of the labor force, poverty and the growing urban underclass, health care and services, day care, transportation and other physical infrastructure needs, housing, and regulatory and legal systems. Colman examines the present legal, structural, financial, and political underpinnings of those policy areas of domestic government that nationally appear most critical. He describes the current and emerging agenda of state and local governments and of the growing number of private profit and not-for-profit organizations that are assuming ever-widening responsibility for leadership and performance in state and local affairs. Contrasts are drawn to major changes in the nature, resources, and commitment of national, state and local governments and associated private performers in these crucial areas since the mid-1970s. Demography, labor force, and other socioeconomic data provide quantitative bases for comparison. In ensuing qualitative analyses, two or more sides of the major issues in each of the policy areas are presented, along with evaluations of past and potential state and local government and collaborative private sector responses. Because it provides new information and perspectives on emerging power centers in American domestic governance, this unique reference will be important reading for those occupied or interested in state and local government; intergovernmental and public-private sector relationships; public administration and finance; and urban studies. Public officials and private sector leaders concerned with state, local, and community affairs, as well as research organizations in these fields should find a place for it on their desks or in their libraries.

Reviews

Colman uses six extended essays to analyze trends in and aspects of various domestic national policies. These essays discuss such topics as the changing policies in our era of decreasing national resources, coping with simultaneous growth and distress, and the growing numbers of people in the urban underclass. . . Academic libraries supporting serious research in political science and policy may find it a useful purchase.-American Library Book Review
No student of state and local government is more knowledgeable than Colman, so this substantial book is a welcome contribution. The book is part encyclopedia, because it covers the full range of issues facing state and local governments today. It is also part manifesto, for Colman argues strongly that subnational governments are increasingly where the domestic-policy action is. The center of gravity in domestic governance in the United States is shifting significantly away from Washington to state capitols, county courthouses, and city halls, ' he convincingly argues. Along the way, Colman probes the emerging issues: the decline of the federal domestic role, especially in intergovernmental finance; the growth of public-private partnerships, including but certainly not limited to privatization; and the stubborn problem of helping the urban underclass up out of poverty. Colman attacks these problems with both thorough analysis and passion. Few if any other works can match this volume for its authoritative insights or encyclopedic coverage into state and local government management and policy. It is therefore strongly recommended for all college and university libraries.-Choice
"Colman uses six extended essays to analyze trends in and aspects of various domestic national policies. These essays discuss such topics as the changing policies in our era of decreasing national resources, coping with simultaneous growth and distress, and the growing numbers of people in the urban underclass. . . Academic libraries supporting serious research in political science and policy may find it a useful purchase."-American Library Book Review
"No student of state and local government is more knowledgeable than Colman, so this substantial book is a welcome contribution. The book is part encyclopedia, because it covers the full range of issues facing state and local governments today. It is also part manifesto, for Colman argues strongly that subnational governments are increasingly where the domestic-policy action is. The center of gravity in domestic governance in the United States is shifting significantly away from Washington to state capitols, county courthouses, and city halls, ' he convincingly argues. Along the way, Colman probes the emerging issues: the decline of the federal domestic role, especially in intergovernmental finance; the growth of public-private partnerships, including but certainly not limited to privatization; and the stubborn problem of helping the urban underclass up out of poverty. Colman attacks these problems with both thorough analysis and passion. Few if any other works can match this volume for its authoritative insights or encyclopedic coverage into state and local government management and policy. It is therefore strongly recommended for all college and university libraries."-Choice

Author Bio

WILLIAM G. COLMAN is a private consultant and is a long-time elected member of the National Academy of Public Administration. He has held a number of policy and managerial posts in federal, state, and local governments, serving in both elective and appointive local office, and on state and national policy advisory bodies. He was executive director of the U.S. Advisory Commission on Intergovernmental Relations during its first ten years. Subsequent to retirement from federal service, he has been a visiting professor and consultant and has written frequently on public finance and urban problems.