ABSTRACT
The structures of council–manager cities have adapted their institutional provisions to changing societal forces and conditions. However, it is still obvious that the manager in council–manager government has motivations and incentives fundamentally different from the mayor in mayor–council government based on different institutional constraints. Institutional setting matters because it shapes the diverse policy and management roles that local policy actors play in the local government. As a result, there is tremendous variation in leadership of the manager or mayor because of the different types of institutional incentives and constraints among local governments. Investigating and comparing the impact of the different institutional setting can provide precise predictions on policy making, implementation, and performance of local governance. Moreover, it also promises to enhance our understanding of public administration and urban politics.
