County Compliance with North Carolina's Solid-Waste Mandate: A Conflict-Based Model

This article presents the findings of research on the implementation of intergovernmental mandates. A framework is developed from empirical and theoretical work in conflict management to assess the response of government actors in the implementation of a specific mandate—North Carolina's Solid Waste Management Act of 1989. Our expectation is that the imposition of a mandate by the state on local governments would produce conflict and contention, especially if the mandate is not accompanied by funding. However, this study indicates that state and local governments may be able to overcome a single-minded concern for their own interests and take on a problem-solving attitude during the implementation process. In addition, evidence indicates that county governments that take a problem solving approach are more likely to achieve the intended policy outcomes, producing the potential for win-win results for the state and its counties.