Deil Wright's Overlapping Model of Intergovernmental Relations: The Basis for Contemporary Intergovernmental Relationships

Deil Wright provided three models of intergovernmental relations in Understanding Intergovernmental Relations. The third model—the overlapping authority model—was essentially a new way of depicting those relationships. It provided the conceptual basis for moving beyond static views of the field. This article reviews the influence of the overlapping model on policy development, program relationships, and administrative practice. It reaches beyond the three institutional levels to include the proliferation of public and private players. It discusses the ways that decision-making processes and theories have absorbed that model. It concludes with a discussion of the current and future state of intergovernmental management.