A New and Reinvigorated Research Agenda for U.S. Local Governments

• Date: 01 September 2020
• Author: Beverly A. Cigler,Arnold Fleischmann,Timothy B. Krebs,Janet M. Kelly,Domonic A. Bearfield,Stefanie Chambers,Ann O’M. Bowman
• Published date: 01 September 2020
• DOI: 10.1177/0160323X21991639
• Subject Matter: General Interests

General Interest

A New and Reinvigorated

Research Agenda for U.S.

Local Governments

Ann O’M. Bowman

1

, Domonic A. Bearfield

2

,

Stefanie Chambers

3

, Beverly A. Cigler

4

,

Arnold Fleischmann

5

, Janet M. Kelly

6

and Timothy B. Krebs

7

Abstract

This essay offers a perspective on a new andreinvigorated research agenda for the study of U.S. local

governments. It reports on the ideas and reflections of a set of local government scholars with dif-

ferent vantage points and varied substantive interests. Seven paramount themes or directions for a

research agendawere identified, all of which contain numerous threads and thrusts: local government

finance and economic development, local government management, intergovernmental relations,

collaboration,public engagement, socialequity, and institutionaldesign. The essay offers some reasons

for optimism about the future of U.S. local governments while also identifying cause for concern.

Keywords

research agenda, local government, COVID-19, scholars, policymakers, practitioners

Introduction

The year 2020 has been filled with challen ges

for individuals and institutions alike. The coro-

navirus pandemic continues to be a remarkably

disruptive force, one that stretc hes the capaci-

ties of local governments in new ways. It strains

delicately balanced budgets and complicates

the delivery of much needed public services;

it upsets standard operating procedures and

increases friction between localities and states.

As the pandemic ensues, local government offi-

cials scramble to devise solutions to problems,

both emergent and longer term. In short, the

year 2020 has tested the resilience of local

governments.

The pandemic is having another impact, one

far more salutary. It provides an opportunity for

scholars to rethink their study of local govern-

ment—from the topics they research and the

ways they research them to the utility of their

work beyond the scholarly community.

1

Bush School of Government & Public Service, Texas A&M

University, College Station, TX, USA

2

Rutgers University, Newark, NJ, USA

3

Trinity College, Hartford, CT, USA

4

Penn State University Harrisburg, Middletown, PA, USA

5

Eastern Michigan University, Ypsilanti, MI, USA

6

University of Louisville, Louisville, KY, USA

7

University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, USA

Corresponding Author:

Ann O’M. Bowman, Bush School of Government & Public

Service, Texas A&M University, 4200 TAMU, College

Station, TX 77843, USA.

Email: annbowman@tamu.edu

State and Local GovernmentReview

2020, Vol. 52(3) 158-172

ªThe Author(s) 2021

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DOI: 10.1177/0160323X21991639

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