Managing austerity: rhetorical and real responses to fiscal stress in local government

Abstract

Coping with fiscal stress is a major challenge. Four responses can be identified for managing austerity: decline, cutbacks, retrenchment, and downsizing. Rhetorically, governments are innovative. In reality, however, fiscal measures that tend towards stability are most often used. This paper unpicks current austerity practices in Dutch cities, identifying successes and failures.

Keywords:

• Austerity management
• innovation
• organizational change