Contracting, Ethics, and Policy Adoption: The Case of Florida Municipalities

Abstract

Local government policy makers continue to pursue governance reforms that introduce business-like practices including the privatization or contracting-out of essential government services. It is unclear how these privatized arrangements may influence the accountability standards of local government employees and elected officials. Using a Cox proportional hazard model, the current study examines how privatization of essential services influences the adoption of ethics policies for Florida cities (N = 409) from 2011–2015. Findings suggest that privatization is associated with a decreased likelihood that cities hold employees and elected officials accountable through codified ethical standards, but that the structure of the local government is associated with an increased likelihood of these policies. City managers are positively associated with the likelihood of explicit ethics policies, further supporting the notion of the manager as forward thinking comprehensive policy maker. Implications for scholars and practitioners are discussed.