Collaborative Counties: Questioning the Role of Civil Society

Abstract

Local governments face increased pressure to collaborate with one another to provide services aimed at increasing economic development. While scholars and practitioners share interest in intergovernmental collaboration, past studies have rarely questioned the role of civil society. Based on the social capital literature, a robust local civil society with high rates of volunteerism and civic engagement should facilitate local government cooperation. Using unique primary data from county governments across the United States, the authors question the degree to which local civil society influences collaborative behavior. The authors further contrast civil society’s influence relative to that of private business interests. This study provides modest evidence for the role of civil society. Rather, the findings suggest that collaboration is greatest where business involvement in development is higher and public participation tends toward more “token” policies (i.e., citizen input mechanisms) rather than organized, citizen group involvement in decision making.