Local Governance and Green Ties: Assessing the Relationship Between Functional and Institutional Collective Action

Abstract

Local governments face transboundary collective action dilemmas requiring collaboration across both internal functional and external jurisdictional boundaries. However, limited research addresses how these two collaborative levels interact. Using a national survey of U.S. municipal sustainability efforts, we find strong evidence that the internal organization of local governments significantly impacts their external collaborative networks. Our findings suggest local governments must carefully consider not only whether to dedicate staffing to sustainability, but also where such personnel are housed. This study begins to provide a more holistic theoretical treatment of the internal and external collective action dilemmas inherent to complex transboundary issues.