Exploring regional aspects of intermunicipal cooperation: an analysis of municipal federations for upper secondary education in Sweden

ABSTRACT Throughout most of Europe, intermunicipal cooperation (IMC) has become an important answer to a range of challenges. In this article, the aim is to contribute to knowledge about mechanisms that influence how delegated bodies for IMC are upheld over time and how such processes are shaped by different regional contexts. This is done through a comparative study of the formation and upholding of three municipal federations in upper secondary education in Sweden. Through this article, I contribute to a current debate on the role of norms of cooperation and regional contextual factors in the emergence and upholding of IMC arrangements.