The constitutions of numerous states require municipalities to obtain electoral approval prior to issuing debt. When the electorate rejects debt proposals, however, officials may proceed with the proposed project through an alternative financing mechanism that does not require a vote. There are...

Cities pursue firms that can increase tax base and fund local public goods. Related firms, or clusters, gravitate to dense urban areas in order to achieve the agglomeration benefits of co-location within a small geographic area. This mutual interest of cities and clusters explains local economic...

The dramatic rise of remote work threatens the traditional source of urban growth – the unique ability of dense cities to provide a setting in which firms and employees share productive resources, match needs with skills, and transmit knowledge at low cost. These “agglomeration benefits”...

The literature on standard form contracts has increased dramatically in recent years, as lawyers and economists have debated their desirability in both business and consumer settings. The development of novel forms of contracting, such as telephonic and Internet-based contracting, as well as the...

Local governments often enjoy "home rule," in the sense that they are able to initiate legislation concerning municipal affairs without obtaining the prior consent of the state legislature. At the same time, these localities often are able to exercise limited discretion over revenue raising. In...

Cover -- CONTENTS -- PREFACE -- 1 The Scope of Local Competence -- 2 Why Does Local Autonomy Matter? -- 3 The Meaning and Scope of Local Redistribution -- 4 Why Do Local Governments Redistribute? -- 5 Local Political Markets and State Constitutional Constraints -- 6 Proxies for Distinguishing...