Quandaries of Pragmatic Reform: A Reassessment of the Jacksonville Experience

This article reviews and reassesses the achievements associated with 30 years of consolidation in Jacksonville-Duval County, Florida-a highly acclaimed experiment that has been frequently proposed but rarely accepted elsewhere. In the 1960s, reformers sought to wrest power from politicians to centralize the executive authority of the mayor. Community elites believed a modernized government would lead to improved governance. Proponents of consolidation have uncritically touted reform, but there are discrepancies between the ideal of reform and its reality, which have implications for citizenry. In this sense, merger advocates are "justifiers" of change. Some social scientists also are justifiers. Others, however, play the role of "clarifiers," raising important caveats that may undermine reform agendas.