1977
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Michel-Jean Bertrand, « Les préfectures : une fonction administrative dans l’espace français », Revue française d'administration publique (documents), ID : 10670/1.tfca3u
The prefectures : an administrative function on the french territory Through their decisions, through their économie action and their impact on employment, the central government services control régional development. The function is essentially urban-based and within characteristically stable geographic limits (in contrast to other activities, e.g. commerce, industry, etc. which are mobile by nature) — it is a fundamental factor which has so far been given little consideration. Every town which houses a Préfecture enjoys a privileged position in the hierarchy of central locations and in the construction of urban networks. Although viewed as a function which is evenly distributed, with little regard to local conditions, it is in fact extremely diverse, remedying the disparities of development in some cases and, in others, aggravating them. Regional structures had therefore to be compared with the effects they produce on the local population’s behaviour and attitudes. The administrative areas are in fact a fundamental element in regional consciousness and cohésion, even if the existence of natural ties and geographic links have sometimes been overlooked. This means that developpment is as much dependent on the decisions of government as on its local presence — the decentralization of authority needs to be backed up by a well-conceived decentralization of services.