Doctoral Dissertation Research: Civic Associationalism and Municipal Social Spending in Late Nineteenth Century French, English, and American Cities

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Political theorists generally agree that civic participation has a significant effect on the size and scope of government in democratic societies, but disagree as to the precise effect. This dissertation research project will compare the number of civic associations in the largest cities in the United States, France, and England with their relative municipal expenditures and voter participation rates for two fiscal years, 1880 and 1890, examining the effect of changes in "associationalism" on both municipal social spending and voter turn-out over time. The study will examine the relevance of three theoretical conceptions of associationalism with respect to three different national contexts: (1) a Neo-Tocquevillian perspective that views associational activity as an alternative to government intervention; (2) a Social movements perspective that views associations as interest-groups mobilized to stimulate government action in areas germane to their specific pursuits; and (3) a Social capital perspective that is neutral with respect to the impact of associationalism on the size of government, but sees associational activity as a stimulus to greater political participation. The results of this research will shed new light on the relationship between governmental and extra-governmental organizations in three contrasting political systems: France, where freedom of associationalism was limited and municipal affairs managed by national administrators; Britain, where associationalism was connected to a long history of class-based occupational organizations and municipal autonomy was limited by Parliamentary oversight; and (3) the U.S., where associationalism was least restrained by political and economic constraints and municipal autonomy was greatest.