Deep Roots: Local Government Structure in California Book

Political authority in California is divided among thousands of local jurisdictions. A typical household may find itself simultaneously governed by a county, a city, a school district, and numerous special districts that levy assessments or charge fees to provide services or build community facilities.. Some observers contend that such complexity hinders coordination among governmental activities, makes it difficult to establish political accountability, and may lead to inefficient provision of services. Deep Roots discusses the political relevance and potential effects of local government fragmentation, provides a new method for measuring fragmentation, examines the long-term trends in California's local government structure, and analyzes the factors underlying the different levels of political fragmentation in the various counties of the state.