Vulnerability and Resilience in Local Government: Assessing the Strength of Performance Regimes

Local governments have been urged by scholars and practitioners to modify their organizational structures in order to meet the challenges posed by extreme events. This study explores the role of performance regimes-a type of governance arrangement-in community efforts to reduce vulnerability and enhance resilience to extreme events. The results of this comparative case study show that local performance regimes vary in strength, which can be explained by jurisdictional resources and level of urbanization. The findings also indicate that performance regimes are potentially valuable in helping local governments overcome collective action problems associated with preparing for and responding to extreme events. The value of these regimes is especially compelling in communities operating with constrained resources.