Boards And Commissions In America Local Government: A Landscape In Multi-center Governance

In recent years, Multi-center Governance emerged with the diverse needs of public interest. As a result, Multi-center Governance Theory plays an important role in local government and local public service research. A group of American scholars represented by Vincent Ostrom got significant achievement in the study of American city multi-center governance. On one side, City Council-manager plan is very common in most American cities. City council is the local legislative institution, usually, there is no more than ten persons in city council. On the other side, staff leaded by mayor compose the city administration. But it is individual knowledge limit that made them hard to express what the citizen want. In order to give the citizen and professional opportunities of participating in city governance, city boards and commissions become the important subject in urban governance system.This dissertation is both a normative and positive research, which regarded boards and commissions of Naperville in Illinois America as study object. This systematic article researched and analyzed the boards and commissions in Naperville mainly by using modern information technology and collecting current data. This article also lays emphasis on commission systems and operation mechanisms of local commissions, investigates commissions from both static and dynamic angle. Combined with the actual situation in our country, I tried to investigate the direct reference and enlightenment significance to our country on the basis of introducing limitations and problems in citizen participation of policy formulation in China.The full text contained five departments. The first department is introduction. I summarize the current situation in America commission's research briefly. I also define my research methods and explain tow concepts—local government and commissions in this part. In the second department, I introduce the structure of Naperville municipal government, summarizes the implication and species of commissions, and introduces the origin, membership, term, duties and meetings of boards and commissions in Naperville. In the third department, I use positive analysis method and case analysis method, research the role of boards and commissions in policy making process by the cases of several commissions formulate the fifth avenue together, transportation advisory commission complete comprehensive transportation plan by multi-center network, bicycle and pedestrian advisory committee involved in the implementation of bicycle implementation plan. In the fourth department, I summarize the function of American local boards and commotions in policy-making, legislative proposing, public participation and multidimensional information interacting. The fifth department reflect the revelation of commission system in China local governance and summarize the full text.