The networks of circulation of local policy elites in large metropolises

The government of large metropolises has become increasingly complex during what many authors have characterized as a transition from government to governance. This paper tackles an unexplored facet of this complexity, namely the circulation of local policy elites within government structures through time in different institutional and political contexts. We analyse the networks created within the state by the circulation of individuals between the top positions of local governmental agencies in three large cities: Sao Paulo, Paris and Milan. The cases demonstrate dense networks in each city connecting policy sectors, administrations and government levels. Contrary to accounts maintaining that governance has reduced government structures, all cities showed constant increases in network size and connectivity, mirroring the expansion and specialization of local bureaucracies. The cases also indicate the resilient salience of the politics of political parties, policy fields and – especially in Paris – different government levels. This suggests that governance involves a reorganization of government functions and increased policy specialization, but this is not done by reducing the role of politics or the state itself. Lastly, in all three cities we find a greater centrality of the same kind of agencies more strongly associated with urban infrastructure and planning.