Contemporary Challenges in Local Government

Abstract

The Bertelsmann Foundation, the largest in Germany, sponsors the Carl Bertelsmann Prize for innovative solutions to public problems. In 1993, the award was given for exemplary practice of “democracy and efficiency in local government.” After extensive research, 10 cities – including Phoenix, Arizona, and Christchurch, New Zealand – received the prize. The recently published research that led to the awards describes the compelling issues facing contemporary local government professionals. The research has stimulated our thinking about the trends that will challenge these professionals for years to come and the perspectives that will be needed to address them. Of the many forces affecting local governments, two emerging trends will shape the future for local government professionals. The first is the movement to modernize the organization. The second is the movement to build and maintain a sense of community, capturing the essence of governing at the local level. Local government professionals must understand each trend in order to contribute effectively to their communities. In this article, we describe the two trends and selected challenges in more detail. In the second half of the article, we identify six responses necessary to deal with these issues.