ABSTRACT

Counties and municipalities are de jure subservient to higher-level governments. However, local governments often exercise powers reserved for state or federal governments and even engage in illegal acts. Such local noncompliance acts have been underexplored in the scholarly literature, especially regarding less visible methods. To fill this gap, this article uses cases of resistance to new mosques in Chicago’s suburbs to illustrate how municipalities use delays, denials, and revenues to get around federal and state laws to violate minority rights. The three methods improve a typology of local noncompliance and illustrate the limits and possibilities of local democracy. Local governments can ignore new federal and state laws; vote on policies and permits; delay decisions or implementation; use fiscal powers; and engage in symbolic acts.

摘要

县和市政府在法律上服从上级政府。但是，地方政府通常行使保留给州或联邦政府的权力，甚至从事非法行为。在学术文献中，尤其是关于鲜为人知的方法方面，尚未对此类局部不合规行为进行深入研究。为了填补这一空白，本文使用了对芝加哥郊区的新清真寺进行抵抗的案例来说明市政当局如何利用延误，否认和收入来逃避联邦和州法律侵犯少数人权利的行为。这三种方法改进了地方违规的类型，并说明了地方民主的局限性和可能性。地方政府可以无视新的联邦和州法律；对政策和许可证进行投票；延迟决策或实施；使用财政权力；并从事象征性行为。