•  
  •  
 

Abstract

The rural areas of the United States have experienced a proliferation of quasi-governmental institutions over the past three decades. The formation of such institutions represents an important form of local boundary change. Local boundaries determine service delivery, economic development, and intergovernmental relationships. It remains unclear, though, how the process of boundary change unfolds. Using federal and state data, I examine the ability of four general explanations of boundary change to account for the proliferation of economic development corporations across North Dakota and South Dakota. I find that their creation is not driven by economic change or need, but is more associated with property taxes per capita.

Creative Commons License

Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

References

1. Sagalyn, Lynne B. 2007. Public/Private Development: Lessons from History, Research, and Practice. Journal of American Planning Association 73, 1: 7-22.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/01944360708976133

2. Morcol, Goktug, and Ulf Zimmerman. 2006. Business Improvement Districts in Pennsylvania: Implications for Democratic Metropolitan Governance. International Journal of Public Administration 29, 1: 137-172.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/01900690500409013

3. Byrne, Paul F. 2006. Determinants of Property Value Growth for Tax Increment Financing Districts. Economic Development Quarterly 20, 4: 317-329.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0891242406291540

4. United States Bureau of the Census. 2002. 2002 Census of Governments: Government Organization. Washington, D.C.: Government Printing Office.

5. Greenbaum, Robert T. 2004. Siting It Right: Do States Target Economic Distress When Designating Enterprise Zone? Economic Development Quarterly 18, 1: 67-80.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0891242403259999

6. Wisconsin State Code. 2006.

7. Texas State Code. 2006.

8. Kansas State Code. 2006.

9. North Dakota Century Code. 2008.

10. New Mexico State Code. 2006.

11. Texas State Code. 2006.

12. Greenbaum, Robert T. 2004. Siting It Right: Do States Target Economic Distress When Designating Enterprise Zone? Economic Development Quarterly 18, 1: 67-80.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0891242403259999

13. Burns, Nancy. 1994. The Formation of American Local Government. New York: Oxford University Press.

14. Foster, Kathryn. 1997. The Political Economy of Special-Purpose Government. Washington, D.C.: Georgetown University Press.

15. Feiock, Richard C., and Jered B. Carr. 2001. Incentives, Entrepreneurs, and Boundary Change: A Collective Action Framework. Urban Affairs Review 36(3): 382-405.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/10780870122184902

16. Olberding, Julie Cencula. 2002. Diving Into the “Third Waves” of Regional Governance and Economic Development Strategies: A Study of Regional Partnerships for Economic Development in U.S. Metropolitan Areas. Economic Development Quarterly 16, 3: 251-272.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/089124240201600305

17. Feiock, Richard C., and Jered B. Carr. 2001. Incentives, Entrepreneurs, and Boundary Change: A Collective Action Framework. Urban Affairs Review 36(3): 382-405.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/10780870122184902

18. Perrenod, Virginia Marion. 1984. Special Districts, Special Purposes. College Station: Texas A & M University Press.

19. Burns, Nancy. 1994. The Formation of American Local Government. New York: Oxford University Press.

20. McCabe, Barbara Coyle. 2000. Special-District Formation Among the States. State and Local Government Review 32:2, 121-131.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0160323X0003200204

21. Thurmaier, Kurt and Curtis Wood. 2004. “Interlocal Agreements as An Alternative to Consolidation.” In City-County Consolidation and Its Alternatives: Reshaping the Local Government Landscape, eds. Jered B. Carr and Richard C. Feiock, 113-130. Armonk, NY: M.E. Sharpe, Inc.

22. Brierly, Allen B. 2004. Annexation as a Form of Consolidation. In City-County Consolidation and Its Alternatives: Reshaping the Local Government Landscape, eds. Jared B. Carr and Richard C. Feiock, 87-112. Armonk, NY: M.E. Sharpe, Inc.

23. Feiock, Richard C., and Jered B. Carr. 2000. Private Incentives and Academic Entrepreneurs: The Promotion of City/County Consolidation. Public Administration Quarterly 24(2): 223-245.

24. Carr, Jered B. 2004. Whose Game Do We Play? Local Government Boundary Change and Metropolitan Governance. In Metropolitan Governance: Conflict, Competition, and Cooperation, ed. Richard C. Feiock, 219-239. Washington, D.C.: Georgetown University Press.

25. Bollens, John C. 1961. Special District Governments in the United States. Berkeley: University of California Press.

26. Burns, Nancy. 1994. The Formation of American Local Government. New York: Oxford University Press.

27. Smith, Robert G. 1968. Public Authorities in Urban Areas. Washington D.C.: National Associations of Counties Research Foundation.

28. Walsh, Annmarie Hauck. 1978. The Public’s Business: The Politics and Practices of Government Corporations. Cambridge, Massachusetts: The MIT Press.

29. Nelson, Michael A. 1990. Decentralization of the Subnational Public Sector: An Empirical Analysis of the Determinants of Local Government Structure in Metropolitan Areas in the U.S. Southern Economic Journal 57, 2: 443-457.

30. Foster, Kathryn. 1997. The Political Economy of Special-Purpose Government. Washington, D.C.: Georgetown University Press.

31. MacManus, Susan A. 1981. Special District Governments: A Note on Their Use as Property Tax Relief Mechanisms in the 1970s. The Journal of Politics 43, 4: 1207-1214.
http://dx.doi.org/10.2307/2130196

32. Sbragia, Alberta M. 1996. Debt Wish: Entrepreneurial Cities, U.S. Federalism, and Economic Development. Pittsburgh: University of Pittsburgh Press.

33. Heikkila, Tanya, and Todd L. Ely. 2003. A Comparative Analysis of the Effect of State Institutions on the Proliferation of Special District Governments. Paper presented at the Third Annual Conference on State Politics and Policy, March 14-15, 2003.

34. Burns, Nancy. 1994. The Formation of American Local Government. New York: Oxford University Press.

35. Feiock, Richard C., and Jered B. Carr. 2000. Private Incentives and Academic Entrepreneurs: The Promotion of City/County Consolidation. Public Administration Quarterly 24(2): 223-245.

36. Burns, Nancy. 1994. The Formation of American Local Government. New York: Oxford University Press.

37. Schneider, Mark, Paul Teske, and Michael Mintrom. 1995. Public Entrepreneurs: Agents for Change in American Government. Princeton, New Jersey: Princeton University Press.

38. McCabe, Barbara Coyle. 2000. Special-District Formation Among the States. State and Local Government Review 32:2, 121-131.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0160323X0003200204

39. Feiock, Richard C., and Jered B. Carr. 2000. Private Incentives and Academic Entrepreneurs: The Promotion of City/County Consolidation. Public Administration Quarterly 24(2): 223-245.

40. McCabe, Barbara Coyle. 2000. Special-District Formation Among the States. State and Local Government Review 32:2, 121-131.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0160323X0003200204

41. Burns, Nancy. 1994. The Formation of American Local Government. New York: Oxford University Press.

42. Burns, Nancy. 1994. The Formation of American Local Government. New York: Oxford University Press.

43. Bauroth, Nicholas. 2005. Water Battles: Municipal Authorities and the Destabilization of Local Governance in the Great Depression. Western Pennsylvania History 88, 4: 30-37.

44. North Dakota Century Code. 2008.

45. North Dakota Century Code. 2008.

46. North Dakota Office of State Tax Commissioner. 2008. “Certified Nonprofit Development Corporation Investment Credit.” Downloaded from: http://www.nd.gov/tax/taxincentives/income/nonprofcorpcredit.html.

47. North Dakota Century Code. 2008.

48. North Dakota Secretary of State. 2008. “Business Records Search.” Downloaded from: https://secure.apps.state.nd.us/sc/busnsrch/busnSearch.htm#Search_Results.

49. South Dakota Codified Laws. 2008.

50. South Dakota Codified Laws. 2008.

51. South Dakota Codified Laws. 2008.

52. South Dakota Secretary of State. 2008. “Search Corporate Database.” Downloaded from: http://www.sdsos.gov/busineservices/corporations.shtm.

53. Bollens, John C. 1961. Special District Governments in the United States. Berkeley: University of California Press.

54. Wood, Robert. 1961. 1400 Governments. Cambridge: Harvard University Press.

55. Smith, Robert G. 1964. Public Authorities, Special Districts, and Local Government. Washington D.C.: National Associations of Counties Research Foundation.

56. Burns, Nancy. 1994. The Formation of American Local Government. New York: Oxford University Press.

57. United States Bureau of the Census. 2001. County and City Data Book 2000 [Computer file]. Washington, D.C.: Government Printing Office.

58. United States Bureau of the Census. 1996. USA Counties 1996 [Computer file]. Washington, D.C.: Government Printing Office.

59. United States Bureau of the Census. 2001. County and City Data Book 2000 [Computer file]. Washington, D.C.: Government Printing Office.

60. MacManus, Susan A. 1981. Special District Governments: A Note on Their Use as Property Tax Relief Mechanisms in the 1970s. The Journal of Politics 43, 4: 1207-1214.

61. Sbragia, Alberta M. 1996. Debt Wish: Entrepreneurial Cities, U.S. Federalism, and Economic Development. Pittsburgh: University of Pittsburgh Press.

62. North Dakota Century Code. 2007.

63. North Dakota Century Code. 2008.

64. United States Bureau of the Census. 1990. Census of Governments, 1987: Government Finances. Washington, D.C.: Government Printing Office.

65. United States Bureau of the Census. 1998. Census of Governments, 1997: Government Organization. Washington, D.C.: Government Printing Office.

66. Burns, Nancy. 1994. The Formation of American Local Government. New York: Oxford University Press.

67. Feiock, Richard C., and Jered B. Carr. 2000. Private Incentives and Academic Entrepreneurs: The Promotion of City/County Consolidation. Public Administration Quarterly 24(2): 223-245.

68. Burns, Nancy. 1994. The Formation of American Local Government. New York: Oxford University Press.

69. Bauroth, Nicholas. 2007. Buyer’s Remorse: The Relationship Between Local Economic Circumstances and Special District Policies. Politics & Policy 35, 2: 366-394.

70. United States Bureau of the Census. 2001. County and City Data Book 2000 [Computer file]. Washington, D.C.: Government Printing Office.

71. Feiock, Richard C., and Jered B. Carr. 2001. Incentives, Entrepreneurs, and Boundary Change: A Collective Action Framework. Urban Affairs Review 36(3): 382-405.

72. Perrenod, Virginia Marion. 1984. Special Districts, Special Purposes. College Station: Texas A & M University Press.

73. Burns, Nancy. 1994. The Formation of American Local Government. New York: Oxford University Press.

74. United States Bureau of the Census. 2002. 2002 Census of Governments: Government Organization. Washington, D.C.: Government Printing Office.

75. United States Bureau of the Census. 2002. 2002 Census of Governments: Government Organization. Washington, D.C.: Government Printing Office.

76. North Dakota Century Code. 2008.

77. North Dakota Legislative Council. 2007. Job Development Authorities Study – Background Memorandum. North Dakota State Senate Workforce Committee.

78. United States Bureau of the Census. 1994. USA Counties 1994 [Computer file]. Washington, D.C.: Government Printing Office.

79. United States Bureau of the Census. 1998. Census of Governments, 1997: Government Organization. Washington, D.C.: Government Printing Office.

80. Feiock, Richard C., and Jered B. Carr. 2001. Incentives, Entrepreneurs, and Boundary Change: A Collective Action Framework. Urban Affairs Review 36(3): 382-405.

81. Perrenod, Virginia Marion. 1984. Special Districts, Special Purposes. College Station: Texas A & M University Press.

82. Burns, Nancy. 1994. The Formation of American Local Government. New York: Oxford University Press.

Download

Share

COinS