Factors influencing local government cooperation in rural areas: Evidence from the Tennessee Valley

Various forms of cooperation among local governments have long been advocated as means to aggregate resources and demand in rural areas so that public services and infrastructure can be improved. This research assesses the degree of multicounty collaboration in rural parts of the Tennessee Valley. It uses both a regression model and key informant interviews to establish the factors that stimulate and impede collaboration. Our work-finds that while there is considerable collaboration already taking place in the Tennessee Valley Authority region, there are factors, such as a lack of strong advocates for cooperative projects, suspicion of neighboring communities, and differentials in available resources that impede collaboration. Conversely, there are supporting factors, including financial inducements, opportunities for officials to interact, and the presence of a neutral facilitator that can increase the amount of collaboration.