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Author Information

Brendan Concannon

Abstract/Description

County government has had an impact on the lives of the people of Massachusetts since 1643, predating the American federal system by well over a century. The various services that county government provides, and has provided in the past, are essential to the residents of those counties. Despite such an extensive history, counties in Massachusetts, and New England as a whole, are distinct from other counties throughout the nation. Deviating from many states, the functions and duties typically performed by a county are performed by the state government or by cities in Massachusetts. In an era where we continually seek to “trim the fat” from all aspects of government, taking a look at what our counties do, and what others have done is an important exercise in the world of state and local government.

Note on the Author

Brendan Concannon is a senior majoring in Political Science. He conducted his research on Massachusetts County Government under the mentorship of Dr. Kevin Donnelly (Political Science) with funding from a 2013 Adrian Tinsley Summer Research Grant. Brendan also serves as the Student Trustee on the Bridgewater State University Board of Trustees and is active in local Democratic politics.

Rights Statement

Articles published in The Undergraduate Review are the property of the individual contributors and may not be reprinted, reformatted, repurposed or duplicated, without the contributor’s consent.

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