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Solid waste management 13_09_2018 (The argument of path dependency then…
Solid waste management 13_09_2018
policy instrument choices reflect the opinion of the majority or an active unopposed minority of the constituents, local officials will likely be successful in reducing the commitment problem, even in the case of heterogeneous or diverse communities.
The concept of path dependency is relevant for the analysis of local policy outputs because it focus on the role of history in determining current policies. Woodlief (1998)
Woodlief (1998) explained the importance of path dependence theory for local policy by arguing that early choices in urban settings decisively affect later policy options by locking in preferences.
Furthermore, decisions are very often made taking into account short-term horizons and limited information available. Long-term implications are difficult to assess due to uncertainty faced by local policy makers.
Knight (1992: 45) it is possible to identify five sources of uncertainty: present policy alternatives available, present consequences of present policy choices, future consequences of present policy choices, future policy alternatives that will be available, and future preferences regarding future policy alternatives and outcomes.
Once following a given policy path it is extremely costly for a local government to revert
it. These sunk costs are not only economic, but also political3
As a consequence local policy is locked in a constraining path and choices are severely limited.
Path dependency situations will not allow radical changes in policy unless successful entrepreneurial activity is present and helps to break the path of development in question by expanding the scope of conflict (Schattschneider, 1975; Baumgartner and Jones, 1993).
Some state level policy actions can actually help local governments to engage in policy change. State level funding, for example, allows cities to break away from structural and political lock-ins.
Unless funding is earmarked, local officials will see the set of policy alternatives expand because funding can mitigate the costs involved in reverting paths.
The argument of path dependency then can be divided in three major steps
First, at early historical periods in the existence of the local government, certain decisions are made by officials facing limited information and intergovernmental constraints
Second, the initial choices establish paths of development that can be more or less efficient depending upon the motivation behind the choices made by local officials, the accuracy of the information available, and the impact of rules enacted at higher levels of government
Third, breaking out of suboptimal policies or inefficient paths of development is costly and largely depends on the type of lock-in – structural versus political – and the political economy and institutional context of the local government.
until the beginning of the twentieth century, the role of municipal governments in managing waste was virtually nonexistent
The state of affairs begins to change in the late nineteenth century, in large part due to the extraordinary population growth of American cities as a consequence of industrialization.
Furthermore, state level funding may affect the pattern of solid waste management choice, because it makes municipalities better-off – income effect – simultaneously altering individual behavior
The choice to increase recycling efforts by introducing more and/or larger recycling
programs may also be influenced by the population density of states and localities.
Under these circumstances it is reasonable to expect changes in the preferred policy instrument(s) for solid waste management, and tests for these trade-offs should be developed.