What Drives Public Support for Local Democracy?

Local democratic institutions are essential components of nearly all contemporary democracies, though they manifest in a wide range of structures and formats. While economists emphasize local democracy's potential to maximize allocative efficiency, local democracy is also seen as crucial for facilitating popular democratic engagement and ensuring citizen control through both representative and direct procedures and institutions. Local democracy undoubtedly requires some degree of genuine self-rule. However, local governments are subordinate to the state and are, to varying degrees, subjected to legally mandated governmental instructions and supervision. Due to tensions between localist and centralist control, local autonomy can fluctuate significantly over time, influenced by changes in political support for local autonomy or central steering. Citizens are not always the staunchest defenders of local democracy; several studies have shown that citizens often prioritize the problem-solving capacity of the political system over democratic procedures. Concerns over equal service provision may overshadow support for local democracy, given that localized decisions inherently result in unequal priorities—an issue especially relevant in the context of the welfare state. In our paper we explore potential determinants for varying support for local democracy. Based on survey data taken from the Norwegian Local Election Study, we analyze variations in agreement with the assertion that local self-rule is insignificant so long as public service provision is ensured. The paper contributes to current knowledge about the preconditions for continued legitimacy and support for local democracy and local self-rule.