Community Resources Management and Quality of Life of Citizenry A Comparative Study of Urban Local Self Governments in San Diego And Bengaluru

Abstract

This study is executed in a comparative framework of analysis and it investigates into the historical perspectives highlighting the typical conditions prevailing in the two countries namely the US and India; two states namely California and Karnataka and finally the two cities namely San Diego and Bengaluru. Based on this context, the institutional arrangements brought about by constitutional provisions; state and municipal laws; referendum and such other participatory processes provide the setting in which the civic services are provided with the avowed purpose of improving the quality of life of the citizenry. The variables considered essential for the effective delivery of civic services are the financial wherewithal and use; procedures for governing city council for the purpose of managing and developing community resources; and the role of civil society. Evaluating the civic services objectively and from subjective opinions of the select respondents, the study brings out its findings that have implications for issues like decentralization; federalism; devolution of powers and inclusive growth. Lessons that can be learnt from the case studies are utilized to suggest a model for improving the functioning of Urban Local Bodies (ULBs). newlineThe study has adopted systems model as the theoretical framework. Two input variables namely national level macro factors and state level micro conditions are taken. The first include factors like political system of a country; history of local governments in the country; constitutional status of local governments, decentralization process and national/ federal local relations. The second include micro conditions like political system of the state and the city, growth of local governments in the states, development of the city councils, state-local relations (legislative, administrative and financial). The process variables are procedures for governing city council for the purpose of managing and developing community resources; participation of civil society (neighbourhood ass