The variety of municipal social services policies: Institutional and communitarian articulation

Abstract

In this article, some theoretical models for local social service policies are constructed from: three dimensions of policies (the design, the partisan and the programmatic), two vectors (which go from the technical to the political and from the internal to the external), one power relation (the main part of the action system), one limitation (the value orientation of social policy) and one consequence (the level of coordination between the various actors involved). Historic ideal types are constructed from an empirical research carried out in a region composed of 20 municipalities. These models allow us to think local politics of the area in relation to other existing social actors in the municipalities. Also a methodological tool that facilitates the understanding of the municipal social policies in other scenarios. And have a practical side as they can be used to understand what is at stake during the processes of change, preserving and supporting the improvement, in each case, technical centers to ensure efficient operation.