Location of Public Services

Legitimacy, Challenges, and Solutions in Sweden

Jenny de Fine Licht, David Karlsson, Louise Skoog

• Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan
• Year: 2024
• Print ISBN: 9783031644627
• eBook ISBN: 9783031644634
• Edition: 0
• Topic: Politics & International Relations
• Subtopic: Public Affairs & Administration
• Index: Politics & International Relations

This book assesses the challenges faced by local governments when deciding on the location of public services. Some physical signs of government presence are vital and generally welcomed within local communities. Schools, bus stops, care facilities, and public libraries are both crucial for the functioning and sustainability of communities, and symbolize governmental engagement. Conversely, other types of facilities are typically unwelcome. Waste and recycling stations, wind farms, and prisons often provoke protests from local residents. Drawing on evidence from Sweden, this book argues that decisions on how to locate services are inherently political, and that in order to succeed, authorities need to ensure that their policies are perceived as legitimate. It also demonstrates how the problem of locating public services is a universal issue, relevant to governments at all levels and in all countries. As urbanization and pressure on welfare systems grow, the problem of locating public services looks set to become more pressing, and the themes raised in the book are likely to remain relevant for years to come. It will appeal to researchers and practitioners in the fields of public administration and local government studies, as well as policymakers and public officials.
 

Table of contents

• Cover
• Front Matter
• 1. Introduction
• 2. The Centre-Periphery Divide
• 3. The Quest for Legitimacy
• 4. Location in a Multilevel Setting
• 5. Party Conflicts and Political Representation
• 6. Making Decisions on Location
• 7. Solutions
• Back Matter