In a unique contributed volume that features chapters written by top scholars paired with practitioner responses, students can see just how much the landscape of intergovernmental relations has evolved in recent years, with diminishing vertical flows of resources, and increased horizontal flows in the form of cross-jurisdictional and interlocal collaboration. Government at all levels must respond to increasing demands in both of these dimensions giving these contributors plenty to say about the future of intergovernmental management in such areas as:

the changing role of managers, disaster response, social welfare spending, cross-boundary management, regional public-private partnerships, and sustainable cities.

Contributors include Robert Agranoff, J. Edwin Benton, Beverly A. Cigler, Brian K. Collins, Mauricio Covarrubias, Raymond W. Cox II, John Kincaid, Christopher Koliba, William Lester, David Y. Miller, Beryl A. Radin, Juan M. Romero, and Eric S. Zeemering.

Introduction, Jack W. Meek and Kurt Thurmaier

Part I. New Realities of Fiscal Federalism

1. The Rise of Social Welfare and Onward March of Coercive Federalism, John Kincaid

1.1 A Practitioner Responds—Social Welfare Spending Dominates, Raymond C. Scheppach

2. State-City and State-County Fiscal Relations: A Look at the Past and Present, and a Glimpse at the Future, J. Edwin Benton

2.1 A Practitioner Responds—Making Crisis an Opportunity, Raymond C. Scheppach

Part II. From Interjurisdictional Cooperation to Collaboration

3. Administrative Strategies for a Networked World: Intergovernmental Relations in 2020, Christopher Koliba

3.1 A Practitioner Responds—Information and Power in a Networked Administrative State, Keith Schildt

4. Reframing the Political and Legal Relationship between Local Governments and Regional Institutions, David Y. Miller and Raymond W. Cox III

4.1 A Practitioner Responds—Home Rule and Regional Governance—Shall the “Twain” Ever Meet?, Stephen G. Harding

Part III. The Challenges for the New Intergovernmental Manager

5. Agency Forms and Reforms: Institutional Design for State-Centric Networks and Block Grant Administration, Brian K. Collins

5.1 A Practitioner Responds—The Promise of Reform and Local Agency Capacity, Terrell E. Ford

6. Disaster Response 2020: A Look into the Future, William Lester

6.1 A Practitioner Responds—The New Intergovernmental Role and the Necessity for Organizational Duality, R. Leon Churchill, Jr.

7. Performance Measurement and Accountability in the Intergovernmental System in 2020, Beryl A. Radin

7.1 A Practitioner Responds—The Promise and Realities of Performance Measurement and Accountability, Elizabeth G. Hill

8. Managing Externalization: New Intergovernmental Roles for Public Managers, Robert Agranoff

8.1 A Practitioner Responds—Networks and Hierarchies Can Co-exist, R. Leon Churchill

Part IV. Responding to the Global Context

9. International Intergovernmental Relations and Impacts on American Federalism, Beverly A. Cigler

10. The Challenges of Interdependence and Coordination in the Bilateral Agenda: Mexico and the United States, Mauricio Covarrubias

10.1 A Practitioner Responds—Hidden Tiger: The View from the State and Local Government Lair, Elizabeth K. Kellar

11. The Evolution of Sustainable Cities as a Metropolitan Policy Challenge, Eric S. Zeemering and Juan M. Romero

11.1 A Practitioner Responds—Sustainability: A View from the Trenches, Jill Boone

12. Conclusion: The Future of Intergovernmental Relations in Networked Governance, Jack W. Meek and Kurt Thurmaier