ABSTRACT
This chapter discribes the causes and consequences of the efforts by political reformers to transform the governing institutions for local jurisdictions. The demands of the job compel most managers to be active in both domains, yet even among practitioners, the distinction between policy and politics is not uncommon. Critics of reform institutions often assert that rules and procedures depress voter turnout. They argue that the absence of party labels deprives voters, especially low-income and less educated citizens, of an important electoral cue. The scholarly literature reveals little consensus about the policy consequences of institutional arrangements. Difficulties abound in the attempt to sort out the various forces that shape urban policy. "Crazy quilt"—critics often used that term to describe the maze of governmental entities found in metropolitan America. The public administration literature reflects a new wrinkle on the continuing effort to push authority downward.
