Municipal amalgamation reforms have been advocated as ways to improve efficiency,
reduce costs, and enhance capacity in local government service provision. Research on the …

This paper offers a systematic literature review of the studies investigating the impacts of
municipal amalgamations. These are presented and discussed by distinguishing five …

Over the last decade, municipal territorial amalgamation has occurred in 15 European
countries. The same period has seen spectacular progress in research on the relationship …

This paper examines whether beliefs that local decision-makers are perceived to favour
certain groups or districts over others, are linked to anti-establishment party preferences …

Most literature finds a detrimental effect of amalgamation on voter turnout in municipal
elections. Some other studies reveal instead null or even positive effects. We argue that this …

When Sweden transformed its geography of local government in 1952 and 1962–1974, the
number of municipalities was reduced from 2,498 to 278. The reforms were infused by the …

In recent decades, the belief that larger municipalities can better capture economies of scale
led to compulsory amalgamations in several countries. This article examines such a …

Municipal size and institutional design are important factors influencing representation at a
local level. However, this has not been studied with regard to the long-term perspective. The …

This article examines whether or not municipal mergers change the perceived level of public
services within a merged municipality. I argue that residents of small municipalities that …

Diagnosing women's under-representation in electoral politics often involves a “blame
game,” seeking to identify the primary factor responsible for depressing the share of women …