When the metropolis governs associations: Participation in public action and democratic management. The case of RSA implementation by the Lyon metropolitan area

This article looks at the processes involved in the democratic management of associations at the local level in the context of the implementation of a public policy. The case of the Revenu de solidarité active (tax credits – RSA) and the support provided to its beneficiaries by various associations, referred to as “operators” by the local government, highlights the ways in which the local government, created in 2015, manages to dominate the voluntary sector. Above all, the metropolis uses management instruments that are binding on the organizations to steer their activities and arbitrate between all those involved. Meanwhile, though the formation of a collective of associations may have enabled them to defend their interests at the local level, its institutionalization in the decision-making arena has led them to moderate their criticisms. As a result, the participation of associations in general in democratic life at the local level has been marginalized and even exploited by a local authority seeking legitimacy.