CampusDownWiki CampusDown ↗
English

Theories of Local Self-Government

🏛️ Politics & Public Administration By CampusDown Wiki Editorial Team Last updated
Quick answer: theories of local self-government explain why residents of an area should elect their own representatives and run local affairs on their own responsibility, and what kind of power that is. There are two main traditions, legal or corporate autonomy and popular self-government, while economics asks why decentralisation can be efficient.
Contents
  1. 1. Corporate autonomy and popular self-government
  2. 2. The nature of local autonomy
  3. 3. Economic theories of decentralisation
  4. 4. Local autonomy in Korea
  5. 5. References
  • Corporate (Continental) autonomy: the German and French tradition, stressing a local authority with its own legal personality, separate from the state, that handles its own affairs. It is autonomy in the legal sense.
  • Popular (Anglo-American) self-government: the English tradition, stressing that residents decide and take part in local matters themselves. Tocqueville praised New England townships as schools of liberty.

Most countries today combine both elements.

The nature of local autonomy

  • Inherent-right view: autonomy is an original right of residents that predates the state.
  • Delegated-power view: autonomy is a power granted by the state.
  • Institutional-guarantee view: the constitution guarantees local self-government as an institution, so statutes cannot abolish its core; this is the prevailing view in Korea.

Economic theories of decentralisation

The Tiebout model (1956) argues that if residents move to the community offering the tax-and-service package they prefer ("voting with their feet"), local public goods can be supplied efficiently. Oates's decentralisation theorem (1972) states that when preferences differ across areas and there are no spillovers, local provision is more efficient than uniform central provision.

Local autonomy in Korea

Article 117 of the Constitution says local governments handle matters concerning residents' welfare and may enact regulations within the limits of law; Article 118 provides for local councils. Local autonomy, suspended in 1961, was revived with council elections in 1991, and heads of local governments were first elected alongside councils in 1995.

See also: Principles of Democracy

References

  1. Tiebout, C. M. (1956). A pure theory of local expenditures. Journal of Political Economy, 64(5), 416–424.
  2. Oates, W. E. (1972). Fiscal Federalism. Harcourt Brace Jovanovich.
  3. Tocqueville, A. de (1835/2000). Democracy in America (H. C. Mansfield & D. Winthrop, Trans.). University of Chicago Press.
  4. 대한민국헌법 제117조·제118조; 지방자치법. 국가법령정보센터 (law.go.kr).

Reports and materials that use this theory (Korean)

There are no materials dedicated to this theory yet, but you can search related reports in the CampusDown library (Korean).

Find more reports · Search '지방자치 이론' on CampusDown →
Publicness and the Public InterestPublicness and the public interest: substantive versus process theories of the public interest, Bozeman's dimensional publicness, elements such as openness and common benefit, and debates over marketisation in administration, media and welfare.🏛️ Politics & Public AdministrationSeparation of PowersWhat is separation of powers? Meaning, examples, and real cases: Montesquieu, Federalist No. 51, the Youngstown case, INS v. Chadha, and checks and balances.⚖️ LawBroadening of Security (Comprehensive Security)The broadening of security explained: from military security to Buzan's five sectors (military, political, economic, societal, environmental), Copenhagen School securitisation, human security (UNDP 1994), cooperative security and critiques.🏛️ Politics & Public AdministrationClassical and Neoclassical Organization TheoryClassical vs neoclassical organization theory: Taylor's scientific management, Fayol and Gulick's administrative management and POSDCoRB, Weber's bureaucracy, the human relations school from the Hawthorne studies, Barnard, and the limits of each.🏛️ Politics & Public Administration

You may also like

Brown v. Board of Education (1954)Brown v. Board of Education (1954) summary: the case, Chief Justice Warren's unanimous ruling, why 'separate but equal' fell, and what happened after.⚖️ LawIntestate SuccessionWho inherits when someone dies without a will: how U.S. intestacy statutes rank spouses, children and other relatives, how per stirpes works, and how Korea's Civil Act sets heirs, shares and representation.⚖️ LawThe Rule of LawWhat is the rule of law? Its meaning and history from Magna Carta to United States v. Nixon, Dicey and Fuller's principles, and how it differs from rule by law.⚖️ LawCommon Law vs. Civil LawCommon law vs. civil law: how the two legal families differ on sources of law, precedent, trials and judges, and where Korea's mixed system fits between them.⚖️ Law

This article was last updated on October 15, 2026. It is based on widely recognized original works and textbooks; when citing it in a paper, please check the original sources listed in the references.