The Territorial Structure of the State’s Administration

Abstract

With the exception of some tiny states, such as Andorra and the Vatican, governments delegate certain powers to subordinate authorities, which exercise them in a defined area of the state’s territory. The counties of the United States, the county boroughs of England, the dértements of France, the amter of Denmark and the ken of Japan provide examples of these local authorities. These bodies are all responsible for a variety of subjects, which include the repair of roads, the collection of refuse and the supervision of building standards. Frequently governments will also create subordinate boards responsible for a single activity, such as the provision of household electricity. In each case the government makes these arrangements to provide efficient administration and to promote the development of the state.

The form and structure of local government throughout the world today are the products of a history that covers many centuries… while there are many variations, there are no accidents; each and every beam or column has a meaning of its own … they tell about how things once were, or about what people thought should be, or perhaps what might be in the future if all went well.

[Alderfer 1964, p. l7]

Many scholars have tended to overlook the importance and significance of internal administrative changes in the development of nations.

[McColl 1963]