@misc{Kersting2005,
  author    = {Kersting, Norbert},
  title     = {Electronic voting : globaler Trend oder Utopie?},
  url       = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:kobv:517-opus-48004},
  year      = {2005},
  abstract  = {The author discusses the issue whether the internet and other electronic sources should be used for elections. Online-elections can make the electoral process not only less complex but also cheaper, thus the analysis faster and more reliable. The lower costs could, in turn, lead to a new impulse on direct-democracy-instruments. Comparing the USA, Great Britain, Germany and Switzerland the article provides information about national strategies, discourses and problems, and shows the different political and cultural settings.},
  language  = {de}
}
@misc{HlepasKerstingKuhlmannetal.2018,
  author    = {Hlepas, Nikos and Kersting, Norbert and Kuhlmann, Sabine and Swianiewicz, Pawel and Teles, Filipe},
  title     = {Introduction: Decentralization beyond the municipal tier},
  series = {Sub-Municipal Governance in Europe},
  journal   = {Sub-Municipal Governance in Europe},
  publisher = {Palgrave},
  address   = {Basingstoke},
  isbn      = {978-3-319-64725-8},
  doi       = {10.1007/978-3-319-64725-8_1},
  pages     = {1 -- 24},
  year      = {2018},
  abstract  = {In Europe, different countries developed a rich variety of sub-municipal institutions. Out of the plethora of intra- and sub-municipal decentralization forms (reaching from local outposts of city administration to "quasi-federal" structures), this book focuses on territorial sub-municipal units (SMUs) which combine multipurpose territorial responsibility with democratic legitimacy and can be seen as institutions promoting the articulation and realization of collective choices at a sub-municipal level. Country chapters follow a common pattern that is facilitating systematic comparisons, while at the same time leaving enough space for national peculiarities and priorities chosen and highlighted by the authors, who also take advantage of the eventually existing empirical surveys and case studies.},
  language  = {en}
}
@article{KerstingKuhlmann2018,
  author    = {Kersting, Norbert and Kuhlmann, Sabine},
  title     = {Sub-municipal Units in Germany},
  series = {Sub-municipal Units in Germany: Municipal and Metropolitan Districts},
  journal   = {Sub-municipal Units in Germany: Municipal and Metropolitan Districts},
  publisher = {Palgrave},
  address   = {Basingstoke},
  isbn      = {978-3-319-64725-8},
  doi       = {10.1007/978-3-319-64725-8_5},
  pages     = {93 -- 118},
  year      = {2018},
  abstract  = {Sub-municipal units (SMUs) in Germany differ in German L{\"a}nder. In Berlin, Hamburg and M{\"u}nchen Metropole Districts fulfill a number of quasi-municipal self-government rights and functions. They have their own budget and strong councils, as well as mayors. In all other L{\"a}nder, most sub-municipal councils were subordinated under the municipal council and directly elected mayor heading the administration. SMUs were introduced as a kind of compensation with different territorial reforms in the 1970s. Although directly elected, sub-municipal councilors are weak, and their advisory role competes with other newly established advisory boards. Here the focus remains on traffic and town planning. Some sub-municipal councils fulfill smaller administrative functions and become more relevant and important in recent decentralization strategies of neighborhood development.},
  language  = {en}
}