This study examines the privatization behavior of county governments and treats contracting and franchising as separate decision-making activities. Contracting decisions are influenced primarily by the desire to reduce production costs. Growth pressures and a political culture that favors professional administration over private-regarding politics also are determinants. Franchising decisions are influenced heavily by growth pressures, political impediments to altering the traditional public production arrangements, a political culture that insulates administration from politics, and a desire to keep tax rates down. In other words, franchising decisions are predicated extensively on efforts to limit the scope of government and operate county government according to businesslike principles.
References
1.
Beck, P. A. , and T. R. Dye. 1982. Sources of public opinion on taxes: The Florida case. Journal of Politics44(February): 172-182.
2.
Beck, P. A. , H. G. Rainey, K. Nicholls, and C. Traut. 1987. Citizen views of taxes and services: A tale of three cities. Social Science Quarterly68(June): 223-243.
3.
Bennett, J. , and M. Johnson. 1980. Tax reduction without sacrifice: Private sector production of public services. Public Finance Quarterly8(October): 363-396.
4.
Benton, J. E. , and J. L. Daly. 1988. The paradox of citizen service evaluations and tax preferences: The case of two small cities. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the Southern Political Science Association, Atlanta, November.
5.
Borcherding, T. E. , W. W. Pommerehne, and F. Schneider. 1982. Comparing the efficiency of private and public production: The evidence from five counties. Journal of Economics2(Supplement): 127-156.
6.
Bureau of Economic and Business Research, University of Florida . 1988. 1988 Florida statistical abstract. Gainesville: University Presses of Florida.
7.
Cigler, B. A.1990. County contracting: Reconciling the accountability and information paradoxes. Public Administration Quarterly14: 285-301.
8.
Clark, T. N. , ed. 1981. Urban policy analysis: Directions for future research. Beverly Hills, CA: Sage.
9.
Clark, T. N. , and L. C. Ferguson. 1983. City money: Political process, fiscal strain, and retrenchment. New York: Columbia Univ. Press.
10.
Courant, P. N. , E. M. Gramlich, and D. L. Rubinfeld. 1980. Why voters support tax limitation amendments: The Michigan case. National Tax Journal33(March): 1-20.
11.
DeHoog, R. H.1984. Contracting out for human services. Albany: State Univ. of New York Press.
12.
DeHoog, R. H. . 1985. Human service contracting: Environment, political, and organizational perspective. Administration and Society16: 427-454.
13.
Dye, T. R.1966. Politics, economics, and the public. Chicago: Rand McNally.
14.
Eulau, H. , and K. Prewitt. 1973. The labyrinths of democracy. Indianapolis, IN: Bobbs-Merrill.
15.
Eyestone, R.1971. The threads of public policy. Indianapolis, IN: Bobbs-Merrill.
16.
Ferris, J. M.1986. The decision to contract out: An empirical analysis. Urban Affairs Quarterly22: 289-311.
17.
Ferris, J. M. , and E. Graddy. 1986. Contracting out: For what? With whom?Public Administration Review46: 324-333.
18.
Florestano, P. , and S. B. Gordon. 1980. Public versus private: Small government contracting with the private sector. Public Administration Review40: 29-34.
19.
Hatry, H. B. , and C. F. Valente. 1983. Alternative service delivery approaches involving interested use of the private sector. In Municipal Year Book, edited by M. A. Schellinger, 199-217. Washington, DC: International City Management Association.
20.
Henig, J. R.1989-1990. Privatization in the United States: Theory and practice. Political Science Quarterly104: 649-670.
21.
Ladd, H. , and J. Wilson. 1982. Why voters support tax limitations: Evidence from Massachusetts. National Tax Journal35: 121-148.
22.
Martin, D.1986. Contracting out the delivery of local government services: A plan of inquiry. Advisory Commission on Intergovernmental Relations, Washington, DC. Mimeo.
23.
Menzel, D. C. , and J. E. Benton. 1990. Service trends and practices in Florida counties. Tampa: Center for Public Affairs and Policy Management, University of South Florida.
24.
Morgan, D. R.1979. Managing urban America. North Scituate, MA: Duxbury.
25.
Morgan, D. R. , and M. Hirlinger. 1991. Intergovernmental service contracts: A multivariate explanation. Urban Affairs Quarterly27: 128-142.
26.
Poole, R. W., Jr.1980. Cutting back city hail. New York: Universe Books.
27.
Poole, R. W. , and P. E. Fixter, Jr.1987. Privatization of public-sector services in practice: Experience and potential. Journal of Policy Analysis and Management6: 612-625.
28.
Savas, E. S.1977. Privatization: The key to better government. Chatham, NJ: Chatham House.
29.
Savas, E. S. . 1981. Intracity competition between public and private service delivery. Public Administration Review41: 46-52.
30.
Sonenblum, S. , J. Kirlin, and J. C. Ries. 1977. How cities provide services. Cambridge, MA: Ballinger.
31.
Spann, R.1977. Public versus private provision of government services. In Budgets and bureaucracy: The sources of government growth, edited by T. E. Borcherding, 211-228. Durham, NC: Duke Univ. Press.
32.
Stevens, B. , ed. 1984. Delivering municipal services efficiently: A comparison of municipal and private service delivery. Technical Report, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (June). Washington, DC: Government Printing Office.
33.
Straussman, J. , and J. Farie. 1981. Contracting out for social services at the local level. The Urban Interest3(Spring): 43-49.
34.
U.S. Bureau of the Census . 1988. County and city data book 1988. Washington, DC: Government Printing Office.
35.
Valente, C. F. , and L. Manchester. 1984. Rethinking local services: Examining alternative delivery approaches. Washington, DC: International City Management Association.
