Modern Approaches to Publicity and Independence of Local Government: Experience of American Municipalities

Abstract

Publicity and independence are basic principles of the exercising local government. Due to them not only local problems can be solved openly and without interference from state bodies, but also local authorities can become closer to people in municipalities in order to solve these problems. The aim of this work is the investigation of American experience in the part of legal regulation and realization of publicity principle when people and municipal bodies solve local problems independently.Turning to the experience of the United States of America it is caused by some factors. Firstly, in this country durable and firm traditions are formed in the sphere of local government. Secondly, this country and Russia are united by the Anglo-Saxon model of local government, on which the organization of municipal power is based. Thirdly, both states are the largest federations, which are objectively difficult to govern from the federal centre. Without participation of citizens and bodies formed by them in processes of government solution of problems of providing local communities with life necessities it is impossible under modern conditions.A lot of international law acts, including European Charter of Local Self-Government, connect democracy with the local government as the effective government, which is close to citizens (European Charter of Local Self-Government, 1985). However, influence of the publicity principle on the processes of local government remains an underinvestigated scientific direction. As the result of considering the status of the problem under investigation in the local communities in the United States of America specific features of performing publicity and openness were discovered in the interrelation between authorities and people Characteristics of the American model of local government are pointed out. They may be recommended to be applied in the home municipal construction. In this connection, the investigation is new, it contains theoretical conclusions and positive experience, what brings new knowledge to science and practice of local government.

DOI: 10.5901/mjss.2016.v7n1s1p31