Urban Austerity Theory, Politicizing Space, and Cutback Policies across Urban and Rural Communities

Abstract

Urban theorists offer varying explanations for why communities use austerity policies that limit or cut government. We develop a synthesis of political-economic and institutional explanations. Using this new synthetic approach, we analyze the characteristics of communities that promote the use of cutback policies and question whether relationships derived from urban theories can be extended across the urban-rural continuum. We draw on original primary data for over 1,000 communities. Our study provides a new lens on local austerity policies and the distinctiveness of the urban experience. We find that economic pressures, political context, and local governments’ characteristics influence cutback policies across both urban and rural America. Large metro counties use more cutback policies suggesting progressive communities are downsizing, and fiscal stress is a strong determinant. Among rural counties, political context and governmental attributes further influence cutback policies. Surprising similarities exist across urban and rural communities in citizen pressures to reduce government. The findings demonstrate that urban frameworks can be pushed beyond their conventional focus. Our study highlights the importance of viewing communities across a continuum rather than analyzing urban and rural communities as if they occupy different worlds.