American City Manager System

Three major American municipal government forms-city-manager plan, mayor-council plan and commission plan were officially established in the progressive movement at the turn of last century which underwent numerous adjustments and changes in the 20th century. Compared with commission plan and mayor-council, the city-manager plan has proved very successful by improving performance of municipal administration effectively to meet the need of city development, and has been widely adopted by various sizes of cities. Today, city-manager plan has become the most popular system of local government for communities with populations of 2,500 or more. The ideas of professional, scientific management it promotes and practices has become general trend of local government administration and greatly influenced other forms of local government. This dissertation, by tracing the dynamics of this plan, attempts to highlight the main reasons of its popularity, and explore the law guiding the development of American municipal government, so as to provide some reference for some related research and urban governance in China.Part one probes into the contributing factors to the formation and growth of city-manager plan, and demonstrates how the plan grows from the formative year to present. The first two chapters look back the urbanization and status of American municipality before the end of 19th century; and discuss the city boss in the latter part of 19th century; following two chapters discusses American municipal reform in the progressive movement; chapter five analyzes the theoretical contribution of Richard Childs-father of city-manager plan; the last two chapters highlight the establishment and growth of city-manager plan.Part two analyzes the basic features of the city-manager plan, challenges and adjustments to the plan in practice from institutional perspective, to demonstrate its rationality and advantages. The first three chapters discuss the original rules and ideas, challenges and adaptive changes of the plan in practice, especially illustrated by related typical analysis; chapter four analyzes the general character of the cities which adopted city-manager plan, such as city size, area distribution, etc.; chapter five analyzes abandonment of city-manager plan, particularly its causation; chapter six discusses the professional management advocated by city -manager plan, and influence over other forms of local government.Part three traces the evolution of the local government management profession dominated by city manager, opens out its maturing process, and stresses great influence of professional management to local government. Chapter one discusses the creation of city manager position, the status and role of early city manager, highlights the significance of the position; chapter two traces the evolution of local government management profession, demonstrates the improving proficiency course of local government manager; chapter three analyzes the role of city manager in governmental process, especially transformations of city manager's involving policy making; chapter four analyzes the mayoral role in city manager government comparing with that of city manager and relationship between two actors, points out the necessity of mayoral role with propriety; chapter five reviews the foundation and development of ICMA, explains motivating influence this organization has on professionalism of local government management.Epilogue summarizes the fundamental causation contributing to the enduring success of city -manager plan, and sets forth the author's understanding about the setting of municipal government forms.