Determinants of Local Civil Servants’ Perceptions of Intergovernmental Tensions: Experimental Evidence from Korea

Much research on intergovernmental tensions has focused on the central government’s perspective and concerns how to control the local government. Despite the increasing importance of the local government’s role in intergovernmental relations, the perspective of local bureaucrats has received relatively less attention, particularly outside the U.S. To better understand intergovernmental tensions from the local agents’ side, we explore several characteristics at the local level that may impact local bureaucrats’ decision making, including local bureaucrats’ perception of discretion, their commitment to the organization, and their career backgrounds. Our analysis of original data from survey experiments with over 2,200 local civil servants in Korea shows that such characteristics indeed play a role in distinguishing local bureaucrats’ perceptions of intergovernmental tensions. Our study has clear implications for public management literature and practice: local bureaucrats’ individual characteristics matter in intergovernmental relations and affect how the central government’s policies are implemented in local agencies.