21세기 지방자치(행정)의 현대적 경향

Contemporary Trends in Local Autonomy (Administration) in the 21st Century: A Comparative Study between the United States and France

(Purpose) This study tried to diagnose the trend of local autonomy in the 21st century by comparing and analyzing the origins and progress of the local autonomy system in the United States and France. (Design/methodology/approach) Therefore, the analysis frame of the local autonomy administrative systems of the two countries was used as a frame of reference(Historical background, State(Etat)-Local Relations, Relationship between local government and residents, Structure and function of local government system) for comparative analysis to derive its characteristic explanation. (Findings) In brief, the flow of local autonomy(administration) in the two countries in the 21st century appeared as decentralization as a reform of local government. In the United States, the basic framework of the state government's autonomy and decentralization system, in particular, the Home Rule Act of local governments made it possible for local authority to be operated while respecting the diversity and specificity of the region. In addition, the direct democracy system, in which resident participation was actively developed, functioned as an institutional device to complement representative democracy. On the other hand, France, unlike the United States, led a uniform and unified powerful centralized state after the French Revolution to 'Jacobinisme' and 'Napoléonisme'(although of course writing the history of decentralization and centralization ups and downs), finally Decentralization policy was developed with the Socialist Party government of François Mitterand. (Research implications or Originality) In the case of the United States, in terms of federal and state government relations, it is a “state (separation) and federal democracy harmony model derived from Jeffersonism and Hamiltonism”, which harmonizes both sides. Based on Dillon's rule, it can be pictured as a form of local autonomy that has an advantage over residents' autonomy dominated by Cooly's rule. On the other hand, in France, since the Mitterrand government, both left and right governments have continued to lead decentralization reform, but in the end, it is trying to promote decentralization in a single state-centered, strong centralized framework. It can be interpreted as “hybrid local autonomy” that seeks a new balance point between the central and local government according to the Jacobinisme appriviosé(Tamed Jacobinism).