The Discretionary Authority of US County Governments at the End of the Twentieth Century

Abstract

County governments as the administrative subdivisions of American state governments have operated with significantly less discretionary authority than have municipalities. In recent decades, however, counties have been granted or have been forced to increase their authority and functions. This movement toward expanded authority to make and implement local policy choices varies widely among the fifty states. Counties in some states come close to parity with cities, while in other states county governments have been eliminated. Previous research has identified two rapidly growing roles for county governments – provider of municipal services and coordinator/regulator of interjurisdictional service delivery. This paper examines these trends as well as identifies other emerging areas where counties are gaining increased discretionary authority.