Descripció
The Spanish local system is characterised by strong fragmentation and a large number of local territorial entities. One of the possible ways of compensating for this small size is through associations of municipalities, which may empower their members to provide better services and may increase their ability to solve problems. However, the size of the municipalities may not be the only important factor. Indeed, other dimensions of size, such as the number of members or the size of the institution as an indicator of the degree of institutionalisation, can be taken into account. In this article, we explore the inter-municipal associations in an area of Spain (Catalonia) in order to identify and analyse the key factors and explanatory variables, and to explore different dimensions of the concept of size.
