An estimated 80% of communes have less than 1 000 residents. Consolidation of the large number of communes into fewer and larger basic units of local government has been politically rejected—amalgamations have been rare. In part this may reflect the dual role of national legislatures who, perhaps more than is the case in other countries, understand the importance local populations have for direct democracy at a scale that is meaningful. The OECD has recommended that France reduce the number of communes by merging the smallest ones in order to achieve economies of scale and to pool resources effectively (OECD, 2014; 2013; 2011). However, absent such aggregation, the only option in an environment where the basic unit of government is too small, is to find ways to encourage collaboration. Because of this, communes frequently enter into voluntary associations with each other in order to co-deliver services and share elements of administration—referred to as intercommunalites.