This paper examines four major concerns regarding functional responsibilities in Ameri can cities. They are: (1) to describe the variation in functional responsibilities (i.e., service functions) of cities; (2) to observe some of the regional, structural, and demographic correlates of the variations; (3) to assess the impact of variation in functional responsi bilities on taxing and spending levels; and (4) to sort out the effects of functional differ ences among cities on policy responsiveness from the effects of structural characteristics of municipal government. Twelve municipal functions were examined in the 243 cities. Implications of the findings suggest reducing the scope of "older, northeastern" cities and transferring functions to other levels of government.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.