4. Local State-Society Relations in Austria

While the bulk of the research describes Austria as a neo-corporatist state, there is a lack of examination of policy networks beneath the national level of economic corporatism. This chapter selectively describes the landscape of more or less institutionalized networks in Austria, which are locally relevant. The mainly small-part territorial structure of local government is a structural impediment to the formation of a uniform and simple pattern of interest representation at the local level. Four manifestations of local state-society relations are analyzed: Some networks are ceremonial (such as the Local Health Working Groups) or self-reflective (like the Local Foreigners’ Advisory Councils). Others can be labeled as delegated networks which are embedded in a framework set by upper-level government, yet still allow meaningful participation and decision-making over regional development goals and their implementation (such as Biosphere Park Committees and Regional Councils of the Agencies for Labor Market Service).