城市化语境中美国地方政府及其自治权的演变

The Evolution of Local Governments and the"Home Rule"in the Context of Urbanization in the United States

美国被认为是一个有许多政府的国家,一个联邦政府、五十个州政府、九万多个地方政府。数量如此庞大的地方政府在功能上分为综合性目的和特定目的两类,前者包括县政府、市政府和乡镇政府,后者包括校区和专区。随着城市化的推进,美国地方政府经历了一个历史演变的过程,并夹杂许多学理和现实的争论,最终形成今天复杂的美国地方政府体系。美国地方政府赖以建立和运作的自治原则在此过程中发生了变化。美国地方政府在规模上“由小变大”,地方政府数量减少;但地方政府自治权限总体上却“由大变小”,地方政府日益专区化,功能日益单一。

The United States is considered a country with many governments,including a federal government,fifty state governments,and over 90000 local governments.T he great amounts of local governments are recorded by U.S.Census Bureau as general-purpose governments and special-purpose governments,the former includes county governments,municipal governments,and township governments;while the later includes school districts and special districts.The local government in the United States has undergone an evolutionary historical process with the process of urbanization,accompanied by many theoretical and practical debates,forming today s complex system of local government in the United States.The principle of autonomy that local governments in the United States rely on to establish and operate has undergone some changes in the process of urbanization.The scale of local governments in the United States has“grown from small to big,”resulting in a decrease in the number of local governments;However,the overall“Home rule”of local governments has“changed from big to small”,with local governments becoming increasingly specialized and their functions becoming increasingly single.