Centralization, Local Autonomy and Municipal Activism: A New Framework for Examining Relations Between Central and Local Government

This study offers a new framework for examining central–local government relations by distinguishing between two concepts that are usually combined: local autonomy and municipal activism. We define local or municipal autonomy as the legally defined powers and roles of local authorities, typically granted by law and state directives or reforms. Municipal activism consists of actions and decisions by local authorities that may challenge the formal boundaries of local autonomy, in a policy environment with certain attributes. This paper, using the example of Israel’s education system, examines how features of local autonomy as defined by law enhance and shape the emergence of municipal activism. We focus on the impact that incoherence and lack of clarity in legal guidance and directives may have on local policy actors’ decision making. The findings show that in uncertain and incoherent policy environments, local government tends toward municipal activism. However, the surprising findings challenge the prevailing assumptions regarding the connection between a municipality’s characteristics and its municipal activism. The findings can be applied to various policy domains, such as urban planning or sustainability policy, where the interplay between legal autonomy and municipal activism has become increasingly prevalent.