Americanization, Europeanization or Path Dependency? Comparing Mayoral Leadership from a New Institutionalism Perspective

Abstract

This paper seeks to explicit the link between the institutional tendency towards the strong mayor model of political leadership and the shifting substance and nature of mayoral agendas and networks in localities from a (European) comparative perspective. It develops a plea for a more systematic research agenda in this field by outlining the potential of such an approach. In doing so, it theoretically draws on arguments stemming from the emerging body of literature that links local politics to new institutionalism. For empirical exploration, the article reconsiders quantitative data from a comparative project that studied mayoral leadership in 17 European countries. It concludes that institutional form matters for mayoral business orientation but is contingent upon leadership context and leader characteristics.

Keywords: Mayors, Leadership, New Institutionalism

JEL Classification: H70