1. Public Administration and Shared Power: Understanding Cooperation
H. George Frederickson
David S.T. Matkin
University of Kansas

2. Agenda “End of Geography” Literature on Cooperation Our Study Findings
Implications

3. “The End of Geography”

4. Literature on Cooperation
Frederickson – Administrative Conjunction
Thurmaier & Wood – Picket Fence Regionalism
Feiock – Institutional Collective Action
Agranoff & McGuire – Institutional Forms
Axelrod “The Evolution of Cooperation”
Feiock’s ICA: Local governments can act collectively to create a civil society that integrates a region across multiple jurisdictions through a web of voluntary agreements and associations and collective choices by citizens.

5. Our Study: The Questionnaire
Hometown Scenario
“An Opportunity to Participate in a Regional Cooperative”
1st Decision
Additional Info:
“significant” benefit
Additional Info:
“slight” benefit
2nd Decision

6. Our Models: Dependent Variables
Decision to Participate (Ordinal Scale, 1 to 7)
Change in Decision (2nd Decision – 1st Decision)
Ordered Logit Regression

7. Our Models: Independent Variables
Type of Additional Information
Type of Official
Years in Current Position
Time Engaged on Regional Programs/Issues
Frequency of Meeting with Regional Counterparts
Distance from Core City Center (miles)
Percentage of Regional Population (ln)
Geographic Location in Kansas City Region
Gender
Age
Education Level

8. Our Findings: Decision to Cooperate
Frequency of Meeting with Regional Counterparts
Northwest Quadrant (baseline KC, MO quadrant)
Mayoral Officials
Don’t
Cooperate
Cooperate 5
Distance from City Center

9. Our Findings: Change in Decision
Council Members
Not in the Central City Quadrant
Less Willing
To Cooperate
More Willing
To Cooperate -2
Slight Benefits to Other Residents

10. Implications Who should we expect will cooperate?
How can cooperation be encouraged?
What is the role of democratic values in regional cooperation?