Institutional Collective Action (ICA)
ICA Review Essay “The Institutional Collective Action Framework“
Feiock, R. (2013). The Institutional Collective Action Framework. Policy Studies Journal 41(3): 397–425. Open Access: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/psj.12023/abstract
The ICA framework introduces an array of collaboration mechanisms available to coordinate the actions of local governments to mitigate local and regional dilemmas of fragmented authority that characterize a federalist system. In metropolitan regions authority to address public problems can be fragmented vertically among levels of government, horizontally among local governments, or functionally among agencies and bureaus. Fragmented authority produces institutional collective action dilemmas when lack on integration results in spillovers or loss of scale economies. Institutional Collective Action (ICA) provides a framework to understand these dilemmas and the collaborative mechanisms to mitigate them. Informal types of agreements impose fewer restrictions on participants because they are flexible, voluntary, and do not require local governments to give up autonomy but they are unlikely to be sustained if participants face “collaboration risks” of not being able to coordinate on a course of action, not being able to agree to division of costs, or not being able to prevent others from reneging or free riding following agreement. The ICA framework posits that these collaboration risks vary by the type of mechanism used, the actors involved, and the nature of the problem.
ICA Publications
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Shaowei, C., Rui, L., & Youqiang, W. (2016). Role and significance of political incentives: understanding institutional collective action in local inter-governmental arrangements in China. Asia Pacific Journal of Public Administration, 38(4), 211-222.
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Bauroth, N. G. (2018). Conflict on the Red River: Applying the institutional collective action framework to regional flood policy. Public Policy and Administration, 33(3), 311-331.
Xin, G., & Chen, J. (2023). Decentralized governance and collective action dilemma: Sub‐national governments’ responses to COVID‐19 in China. Public Administration and Development.
Sandra Corredor, Joseph T. Mahoney, and Deepak Somaya, 2016: Towards a More Complete Taxonomy of Design Solutions for Managerial Collective Action Problems. Proceedings, 2016, https://doi.org/10.5465/ambpp.2016.10047abstract
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Andrew, S. A., J. E. Short, K. Jung, and S. Arlikatti. 2015. “Intergovernmental Cooperation in the Provision of Public Safety: Monitoring Mechanisms Embedded in Interlocal Agreements.” Public Administration Review 75 (3): 401–410. doi:10.1111/puar.12312.
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Ssu-Hsien Chen (2021) Municipal carbon reduction policy in Taiwan: A collective action perspective, Journal of Urban Affairs, 43:8, 1100-1117, DOI: 10.1080/07352166.2020.1718508
Mattia Casula & Serafín Pazos-Vidal (2021) Assessing the Multi-level Government Response to the COVID-19 Crisis: Italy and Spain Compared, International Journal of Public Administration, 44:11-12, 994-1005, DOI: 10.1080/01900692.2021.1915330
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Kim, S. (2021b). Elevating the Scale of Cross-Boundary Cooperation: Mechanisms for Cross-Regional Policy Coordination. Urban Affairs Review Forum. https://urbanaffairsreview.com/2021/11/23/
Germà Bel, Ivo Bischoff, Sara Blåka, Mattia Casula, Jakub Lysek, Pawel Swianiewicz, António F. Tavares & Bart Voorn (2022) Styles of inter-municipal cooperation and the multiple principal problem: a comparative analysis of European economic area countries, Local Government Studies, DOI: 10.1080/03003930.2022.2041416
Puyao Xing & Hua Xing (2022) Environmental inter-local collaboration under meta-governance: the trade-off between collective and selective benefits, Local Government Studies, DOI: 10.1080/03003930.2022.2148662
Deslatte, A., & Stokan, E. (2020). Sustainability synergies or silos? The opportunity cost of local government organizational capabilities. Public Administration Review, 80(6), 1024–1034. https://doi.org/10.1111/puar.13237
Camões, P. J., Tavares, A., & Teles, F. (2021). Assessing the intensity of cooperation: a study of joint delegation of municipal functions to inter-municipal associations. Local Government Studies, 47(4), 593-615.
Ki, N., Kwak, C.-G. and Song, M. (2020), Strength of Strong Ties in Intercity Government Information Sharing and County Jurisdictional Boundaries. Public Admin Rev, 80: 23-35. https://doi.org/10.1111/puar.13135
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Feiock, R. Krause, R, Hawkins C. (2018). “The Impact of Administrative Structure on the Ability of City Governments to Overcome Functional Collective Action Dilemmas: A Climate and Energy Perspective,” Journal of Public Administration Research and Theory, 28. mux021, 10.1093/jopart/mux021.
Kyujin J. (2017). “Sources of Organizational Resilience for Sustainable Communities: An Institutional Collective Action Perspective,” Sustainability 9(7); doi:10.3390/su9071141
Yi, H., Suo, L. Shen, R. Zhang J. Ramaswami, A. Feiock, R. (2018). “Regional Governance and Institutional Collective Action for Environmental Sustainability in China,” Public Administration Review, DOI: 10.1111/puar.12799.
Bauroth, N. (2017). “Conflict on the Red River: Applying the institutional collective action framework to regional flood policy,” Public Policy and Administration 10.1177/0952076717693296.
Deslatte, A., Feiock R. Wassel, K. (2017). “Urban Pressures and Innovations: Sustainability Commitment in the Face of Fragmentation and Inequality,” Review of Policy Research, DOI: 10.1111/ropr.12242.
Jung, K. Song, M. and Feiock. R. (2017). “Isolated and Broken Bridges from a Disaster: A Longitudinal Study of Interorganizational Emergency Management Networks before and after the 2013 Seoul Floods,” Urban Affairs Review. DOI: 10.1177/1078087417690257
Yi. H. Feiock R. Berry F. (2017). “Overcoming Collective Action Barriers to Energy Sustainability: A Longitudinal Study of Climate Protection Accord Adoption by Local Governments,” Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews 79: 339-346.
Lubell, M. Mewhirter, J. Berardo, R. Scholz, J. (2016) “Transaction Costs and the Perceived Effectiveness of Complex Institutional Systems,” Public Administration Review 76(5): 693–835.
Percoco, M. (2016). “Strategic Planning and Institutional Collective Action in Italian Cities,” Public Management Review 18(1): 139-158.
Hawkins, C., Hu, Q. and Feiock, R. (2016). “Self-Organizing Governance of Local Economic Development: Informal Policy Networks and Regional Institutions,” Journal of Urban Affairs 38 (5): 643–660.
Chen, S. and Wang, Y. 2016. “The Role and Significance of Political Incentives in Understanding Institutional Collective Action in Intergovernmental Arrangements in China,” Asia Pacific Journal of Public Administration 38 (4): 211-222.
Terman, J. and Feiock R. (2016). “Formal and Informal Contract Mechanisms in Local Government Energy Audits and Retrofits,” Local Government Studies 42( 2): 309–331.
Alyamani, T., Damgacioglu, H.,Celik, N., Asfour, S. Feiock, R. (2016). A Multiple Perspective Modeling and Simulation Approach for Renewable Energy Policy Evaluation, Computers & Industrial Engineering 102: 280-293
Kwak, C., Feiock R. Hawkins C. Lee, Y. (2016) Impacts of Federal Stimulus Funding on Economic Development Policy Networks among Local Governments. Review of Policy Research, 33(2): 140-159.
Terman, J., Feiock R. Kassekert A., Yang K. (2016). “Walking in the Shadow of Pressman and Wildavsky: Expanding Fiscal Federalism and Goal Congruence Theories to Single-Shot Games,” Review of Policy Research,33(2): 124–139.
Ha, H., Lee, I. & Feiock, R. (2016). Organizational Network Activities for Local Economic Development. Economic Development Quarterly, 30 (1): 15-31.
Krause, R. Feiock, R. & Hawkins. C. (2016). “The Administrative Organization of Sustainability within Local Government,” Journal of Public Administration Research and Theory, 26 (1): 113-127.
Chen, S., Feiock, R., & Hseih, J. (2016). “Regional Partnerships and Metropolitan Economic Development,” Journal of Urban Affairs DOI: 10.1111/juaf.12183.
Jang, H., Feiock, R. & Saitgalina, M. (2016). “Institutional Collective Action Issues in Nonprofit Self-organized Collaboration,” Administration & Society 48 (2): 163-189.
Simon A. Andrew, S., Short, J., Jung,K. Arlikatti, S. (2015). Intergovernmental Cooperation in the Provision of Public Safety: Monitoring Mechanisms Embedded in Interlocal Agreements, Public Administration Review 75 (3): 401–410.
Yi, H., & Feiock, R. (2015) “Climate Action Plan Adoptions in the U.S. States,” International Journal of Climate Change Strategies and Management 7 (3) 375 – 393
Andrew S., Jung, K. Li, X. (2015). “Grass-Root Organizations, Intergovernmental Collaboration, and Emergency Preparedness: An Institutional Collective Action Approach,” Local Government Studies 41(5): 673-694.
Jung, K,Song, M. (2015). Linking emergency management networks to disaster resilience: bonding and bridging strategy in hierarchical or horizontal collaboration networks,” Quality & Quantity 49 (4): 1465–1483.
Feiock, R. C., Portney, K.E., Bae, J. (2014). “Governing Local Sustainability: Agency Venues and Business Group Access,” Urban Affairs Review 50(2): 157–179.
Kwon, M., Jang, H. & Feiock, R. (2014). “Climate Protection and Energy Sustainability Policy in California Cities: What Have We Learned?” Journal of Urban Affairs 36 (5): 905–924.
Shrestha, M., Berardo R., and Feiock R. (2014). “Solving Institutional Collective Action Problems in Multiplex Networks,” Complexity, Governance, and Networks 1(1) 49-60.
Kwon, S. W., Feiock, R. & Bae, J. (2014). “The Roles of Regional Organizations in Interlocal Resource Exchange: Complement or Substitute,” American Review of Public Administration. 44 (3): 339-357.
Gerber, Elizabeth, Adam Henry, and Mark Lubell. 2013. “Political Homophily and Collaboration in Regional Planning Networks,” American Journal of Political Science,57(3), 598-610.
Kwon, Sung-Wook, Richard Feiock, and Jungah Bae. 2013 “The Roles of Regional Organizations in Interlocal Resource Exchange: Complement or Substitute,” American Review of Public Administration,44 (3) 339-357.
Andrew, Simon A. and James Kendra. 2012. “An Adaptive Governance Approach to Disaster Behavioral Services. The Journal of Disaster Studies,”Policy and Management 36 (3).
Andrew, Simon A., and Jered B. Carr. 2012. “Mitigating Uncertainty and Risk in Planning for Regional Preparedness: The Role of Bonding and Bridging Relationships,”Urban Studies.
Bae, Jungah and Richard C. Feiock. 2012. “Managing Multiplexity: Coordinating Multiple Services at a Regional Level,” State and Local Government Review 44 (2): 162-168.
Feiock, Richard C. In Won Lee and Hyung Jun Park. 2012. “Administrators’ and Elected Officials’ Collaboration Networks: Selecting Partners to Reduce Risk in Economic Development,” Public Administration Review 72: 58–68.
Jang, Hee Soun and Richard C. 2012. “The Collective Action Issues in Nonprofit Self-organized Informal Collaboration,” working paper, Denton TX: University of North Texas..
Lee, In Won, Richard C. Feiock, and Youngmi Lee. 2012. “Competitors and Cooperators: A Micro-Level Analysis of Regional Economic Development Collaboration Networks,” Public Administration Review 72(2): 253-262.
Lee, Youngmi, In Won Lee, and Richard C. Feiock. 2012. “Network Embeddedness and Local Economic Development Collaboration: An Exponential Random Graph Analysis,” Policy Studies Journal 40(3): 547–573.
Minkoff, Scott L. 2012b. “From Competition to Cooperation: A Dyadic Approach to Interlocal Agreements,” American Politics Research.
Park, Jongsun. 2012. “Externality, Institutional Collective Action, Competition, Conflict,” The Korean Journal of Policy Studies 27(1): 57-85.
Shrestha, Manoj. 2012. “Internal versus External Social Capital and the Success of Community Initiatives: A Case of Self-Organizing Collaborative Governance in Nepal,” Public Administration Review.
Hawkins, Christopher V., and Simon A. Andrew. 2011. “Understanding Horizontal and Vertical Relations in the Context of Economic Development Joint Venture Agreements,” Urban Affairs Review 47(3): 385-412.
Pierre, Jon. 2011. “Cost-efficiency and public interest in inter-local partnerships,” Urban Research & Practice 4(1): 13-22.
Shrestha, Manoj K., and Richard C. Feiock. 2011. “Transaction Cost, Exchange Embeddedness, and Interlocal Cooperation in Local Public Goods Supply,” Political Research Quarterly 64(3): 573-587.
Berardo, Ramiro and John Scholz., 2010. “Self-Organizing Policy Networks: Risk, Partner Selection, and Cooperation in Estuaries,” American Journal of Political Science 54(3).
Farmer, Jayce L. 2010. “Factors influencing special purpose service delivery among counties,” Public Performance & Management Review 33(4): 535-554.
Hawkins, Christopher V. 2010. “Competition and cooperation: Local government joint ventures for economic development,” Journal of Urban Affairs 32(2): 253-275.
Hawkins, Christopher V., and Simon A. Andrew. 2010. “Linking Cooperative Arrangements and Economic Development Strategies: An Institutional Collective Action Framework,” International Review of Public Administration 15(1) 1-16.
Kwon, Sung-Wook, Richard Feiock. 2010. “Overcoming the barriers to cooperation: Intergovernmental service agreements,” Public Administration Review 70(6): 876-884.
LeRoux, Kelly, Oaul W. Brandenburger, and Sanjay K. Pandy 2010. “Interlocal service cooperation in US cities; A social network explanation,” Public Administration Review 70(2): 268-278.
Tavares, António F. 2010. “The Formation of Regional Councils of Governments: A Transaction Costs Theory of Collaboration,”working paper, Universidade do Minho, Portugal.
Andrew, Simon A. 2009. “Regional Integration through Contracting Networks: An Empirical Analysis of Institutional Collection Action,” Urban Affairs Review 4(3): 403-427.
Carr, Jered B., Kelly LeRoux, and Manoj Shrestha. 2009. “Institutional ties, transaction costs, and external service production,” Urban Affairs Review 44(3): 378-402.
Feiock, Richard C.2009. “Metropolitan Governance and Institutional Collective Action,” Urban Affairs Review 45(3).
Feiock, Richard C., Annette Steinacker and Hyung-Jun Park. 2009. “Institutional Collective Action and Economic Development Joint Ventures,” Public Administration Review 69(2): 256-270.
Shrestha, Manoj K., and Richard C. Feiock. 2009. “Governing US Metropolitan Areas Self-Organizing and Multiplex Service Networks,” American Politics Research 37(5): 801-823.
Carr, Jered B. Elisabeth R. Gerber, Eric W. Lupher. 2008. “Explaining Horizontal and Vertical Cooperation on Public Services in Michigan: The Role of Local Fiscal Capacity,” Metropolitan Affairs in Michigan, Michigan State University Press.
Feiock, Ricahrd C. 2007. “Rational Choice and Regional Governance,” Journal of Urban Affairs 29(1): 47-63.
Park, Hyung Jun and Richard C. Feiock. 2007. “Institutional Collective Action, Social Capital, Regional Partnership,” International Review of Public Administration 11(2): 57-69.