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RESEARCH PRODUCT

The Governance of Metropolitan Areas: Problems and Alternatives in the Spanish Case

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In federalist thinking, a constant is the tension in defining optimal levels of government, its territorial scope and functions. These questions are particularly difficult at the local level. This is where we find that the differences between various forms of structuring local governments are vast. This is the case from the point of view of their legal status. In Spain, for example, we find municipalities, provinces, island authorities, counties, metropolitan areas, communities, consortia, local entities below the municipal level and other juridical forms. However, it is also the case from the point of view of their socioeconomic characteristics. Thus, for instance, it is difficult to compare cities such as Madrid or Barcelona, with several million inhabitants, with those localities that do not even reach 100 residents.