Managing Local Government

An Essential Guide for Municipal and County Managers

Kimberly L. Nelson, Carl W. Stenberg

• Publisher: CQ Press
• Year: 2017
• ISBN:
  9781506323398
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Politics & International Relations
• Subtopic: Public Affairs & Administration
• Index: Politics & International Relations

Managing Local Government: An Essential Guidefor Municipal and County Managers offers a practical introduction to the changing structure, forms, and functions of local governments. Taking a metropolitan management perspective, authors Kimberly Nelson and Carl W. Stenberg explain U.S. local government within historical context and provide strategies for effective local government management and problem solving. Real-life scenarios and contemporary issues illustrate the organization and networks of local governments; the roles, responsibilities, and relationships of city and county managers; and the dynamics of the intergovernmental system. Case studies and discussion questions in each chapter encourage critical analysis of the challenges of collaborative governance. Unlike other books on the market, this text's combined approach of theory and practice encourages students to enter municipal and county management careers and equips them with tools to be successful from day one.

Table of contents

• Cover
• Half Title
• Acknowledgements
• Title Page
• Copyright Page
• Brief Contents
• Detailed Contents
• Preface
• Acknowledgments
• About the Authors
• 1 Managing Local Governments in a Dynamic World
• 2 U.S. Local Governments in Historical Context
• 3 Types, Functions, and Authority of U.S. Local Governments
• 4 Working across Boundaries
• 5 The Career of the Local Government Manager
• 6 Roles and Relationships
• 7 Enhancing Council–Manager Effectiveness
• 8 Citizen Engagement
• 9 Service Delivery Strategies and Innovation
• 10 The Manager’s Toolbox
• 11 Emerging Issues and Management Challenges Facing Local Governments
• Appendix 1: International City/County Management Association (ICMA) Code of Ethics with Guidelines
• Appendix 2: International City/County Management Association (ICMA) Practices for Effective Local Government Management
• Index