scholarly journals Representation through corporatisation: municipal corporations in Italy as arenas for local democracy

2014 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 63-92 ◽  
Author(s):  
Giulio Citroni ◽  
Andrea Lippi ◽  
Stefania Profeti
Keyword(s):  
Policy Making ◽  
Political Representation ◽  
Policy Instrument ◽  
Specific Reference ◽  
Local Policy ◽  
Italian Regions ◽  
Governance Tools ◽  
Local Actors ◽  
Private And Public ◽  
The Impact

The literature on Public Utilities has increasingly shown that the adoption of corporate governance tools for the management of public services in local policy-making has given rise to a considerable reshaping of political strategies and practices. Corporatisation should be understood as not merely a policy instrument, but also as a new opportunity for local politicians to adjust their preferences, to deal with various interests, and to build unusual coalitions. Corporatisation may (and does) influence the concrete operation of local political systems. Today, the boards of municipal enterprises, as well as the public–private partnerships stemming from this emerging tendency towards corporatisation, can be conceived as both actors of local policy-making and arenas in which a number of functions traditionally associated with the mechanisms of electoral representation are performed: inter- and intra-party bargaining, recruitment of élites, and negotiation with local and ‘external’ stakeholders. The paper illustrates the impact of corporatisation on local representation mechanisms in Italy, considering its opaque side with specific reference to the problem of democratic accountability and control, and the creation of new local oligarchies. Empirical evidence is provided from research on municipal enterprises in six different Italian regions. Statistical data on companies (amount of social capital, fields of activity, private and public shareholders, etc.), as well as qualitative data, are analysed in order to show how corporatisation has provided local actors with unusual (and often non-transparent) channels of political representation and public–private bargaining.

Of numbers, narratives and challenges: Data as evidence in 21st century policy-making

2020 ◽  
Vol 36 (4) ◽  
pp. 1043-1055
Author(s):  
Gaby Umbach
Keyword(s):  
21St Century ◽  
Policy Making ◽  
Evidence Use ◽  
The Third ◽  
Use Of Data ◽  
Science Advice ◽  
Governance Tools ◽  
The Impact

This article1 offers reflections on the use of data as evidence in 21st century policy-making. It discusses the concept of evidence-informed policy-making (EIPM) as well as the governance and knowledge effects of data as evidence. With this focus, it interlinks the analysis of statistics and politics. The paper first introduces the concept of EIPM and the impact of evidence use. Here it focusses on science and knowledge as resources in policy-making, on the institutionalisation of science advice and on the translation of information and knowledge into evidence. The second part of the article reflects on data as evidence. This part concentrates on abstract and concrete functions of data as governance tools in policy-making, on data as a robust form of evidence and on the effects of data on knowledge and governance. The third part highlights challenges for data as evidence in policy-making, among them, politicisation, transparency, and diversity as well as objectivity and contestation. Finally, the last part draws conclusions on the production and use of data as evidence in EIPM. Throughout the second part of the reflections, reference is made to Walter Radermacher’s 2019 matrix of actors and activities related to data, facts, and policy published in this journal.

Syriza in opposition may obstruct Greek reform again

2017 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Political Representation ◽  
Bond Markets ◽  
Economic Adjustment ◽  
Content Type ◽  
International Capital Markets ◽  
Private And Public ◽  
Severe Recession ◽  
Institutional Architecture ◽  
Investment Capacity ◽  
The Impact

Subject Greece’s performance as a ‘programme country’ since 2010. Significance Excluded from international capital markets for the last six years, Greece has negotiated three memoranda of understanding (MoU) with its international creditors. When its third programme concludes in July 2018, Greece will have been in economic adjustment programmes (EAP) for almost a decade. The impact on the country’s institutional architecture, sense of sovereignty and political representation has been considerable. Impacts Orderly exit from creditor assistance would increase Greece’s refinancing options, including returning to international bond markets. Severe recession will continue to impact household consumption, domestic demand and investment capacity, private and public. Greece’s crisis has regional ramifications, including the ongoing refugee crisis and fraught relations with Turkey.

Trust and governance practices among local leaders

2005 ◽  
Vol 71 (3) ◽  
pp. 405-424 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michiel S. de Vries
Keyword(s):  
Policy Making ◽  
Good Governance ◽  
Local Policy ◽  
Generalized Trust ◽  
Governance Practices ◽  
Administrative Leaders ◽  
Seeking Behavior ◽  
Local Policy Maker ◽  
Past Experiences ◽  
The Impact

This article investigates patterns of generalized trust among local political and administrative leaders. It explains the differences therein and studies the impact of such trust on the inclination to involve people in policy-making processes. The research is based on a survey among approximately 16,000 local administrators and politicians in 665 communities in 18 countries. The findings are analyzed using a multi-level model. It is found that generalized trust among local policy-makers, as a form of low-level risk, can be explained by the judgment about past experiences with public participation, the judgment of the abilities of the constituency and the scope of problems in the community. Regarding the impact of trust on the propensity to involve people in the policy-making process, significant differences are found between old, new and newest democracies. In the old democracies there is hardly a relation between the tendency to seek the support of citizens on the one hand and generalized trust on the other hand. The severity of social problems has in these countries a positive effect on involving citizens. In the new and especially the newest democracies, the relation between trust and support-seeking behavior is significantly stronger. When problems become less urgent in those countries and the local policy-maker does show generalized trust,(s)he is significantly more inclined than his/her colleagues to seek the support of the people. This implies that there might exist a paradox, namely that in order to enhance practices of good governance, claiming these are more effective, one already needs a society in which policy-making is relatively effective and that has adequate problem-solving capacity.

Regional Synergies in Triple Helix Regions

2015 ◽  
Vol 29 (1) ◽  
pp. 25-35 ◽  
Author(s):  
Helen Lawton Smith ◽  
Rupert Waters
Keyword(s):  
Policy Making ◽  
Triple Helix ◽  
Government Funding ◽  
High Tech ◽  
Local Policy ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Active Involvement ◽  
The Impact ◽  
University Industry

This paper examines the role of universities in delivering regional/local policy and the extent to which they help formulate that policy. It explores the incentives for universities to act. Two examples are the availability of government funding designed to foster university–industry interaction and the existence of specific local agenda that are of mutual interest to both universities and local policy makers. The paper also highlights the converse – policy might follow from the observed actions of the impact of universities' excellence (for example, the formation of university spin-offs). The authors consider how both translate into active involvement in local policy making using the case of the Oxfordshire high-tech economy. Oxfordshire is an important high-tech economy dominated by one of the world's leading research universities.

scholarly journals Philanthropic Foundations and Local Policy Making in the Austerity Era: Does Urban Governance Matter?

2016 ◽  
Vol 14 (4) ◽  
pp. 917-935 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stefania Ravazzi
Keyword(s):  
Comparative Analysis ◽  
Local Governments ◽  
Policy Making ◽  
Local Governance ◽  
Local Policy ◽  
Philanthropic Foundations ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Philanthropic Organizations ◽  
Private Actors ◽  
The Impact

Over the last decades, European cities have been facing serious constraints. In particular, decreasing transfers from central governments, the introduction of domestic ‘Stability pacts’ and the economic crisis have significantly challenged the capacity of local governments to address societal issues. Within this context, local governments have tried to find new ways by establishing collaborations with a wide range of private actors, including non-profit organizations and the civil society as a whole. Among these private actors, big philanthropic organizations are gaining prominence, acting as public policy supporters and policy makers. In particular, those philanthropic organizations, which focus the operating activity on single communities, are emerging as potential key actors in local governance, thanks to their capacity to concentrate resourses and efforts in specific and limited territories. For this new emerging role, a recent debate on their impact on local policy making has raised in the last years. This paper aims at presenting the findings of a comparative analysis on the impact that some of the world’s biggest philanthropic organizations have produced in two Italian urban contexts. In particular, the comparative analysis of these two cases had the aim of testing a major thesis: the impact of philanthropic foundations on local policy making varies in relation to the consolidated mode of governance within which they operate.

scholarly journals Assessing Survey Satisficing: The Impact of Unmotivated Questionnaire Responding on Data Quality

2021 ◽  
pp. 0013189X2110400
Author(s):  
Christine Calderon Vriesema ◽  
Hunter Gehlbach
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Data Quality ◽  
Secondary Students ◽  
Policy Making ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Local Policy ◽  
Social Emotional ◽  
Student Surveys ◽  
High Quality ◽  
The Impact

Education researchers use surveys widely. Yet, critics question respondents’ ability to provide high-quality responses. As schools increasingly use student surveys to drive local policy making, respondents’ (lack of) motivation to provide quality responses may threaten the wisdom of using questionnaires for data-based decision making. To better understand student satisficing—the practice of suboptimal responding on surveys—and its impact on data quality, we examined its pervasiveness and impact on a large-scale social–emotional learning survey administered to 409,721 elementary and secondary students. Findings indicated that despite the prevalence of satisficing, its impact on data quality appeared more modest than anticipated. We conclude by outlining an accessible approach for defining and calculating satisficing for researchers, practitioners, and policymakers.

scholarly journals Towards Tourism Sustainability: General Aspects and Empirical Evidence of the Italian Experience at Decentralized Level, with Specific Reference to Sicily

2016 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 95-138 ◽  
Author(s):  
Silvana Cassar ◽  
Salvo Creaco
Keyword(s):  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Growth Patterns ◽  
Specific Reference ◽  
Economic Sectors ◽  
Full Account ◽  
Italian Experience ◽  
Italian Regions ◽  
General Aspects ◽  
Tourist Accommodation ◽  
The Impact

AbstractEven though the concepts and observations underlying sustainability are not a novelty, sustainable development was given impetus and made popular in 1987 by the Brundtland Report. This report introduced development policies and strategies that acknowledged the importance of resource and environmental constraints and the limitations imposed on growth patterns. Although sustainable development proved difficult to define and make operative, the concept was progressively applied to those economic sectors which had major detrimental effects on income, employment and wealth. Sustainable tourism was effectively one part of the effort to take full account of the current and future economic, social and environmental impacts of the sector, addressing the needs of visitors, industry, environment and host communities. After reviewing the main questions referring to the environmental, economic and social aspects of tourism development, this paper tries to identify a balanced indicator showing the impact of tourist accommodation facilities and related infrastructure in Sicily in terms of the three fundamental pillars of sustainability. Based on this indicator, the ranking of the nine Sicilian provinces is provided. In a wider perspective, the proposed approach is applied to make a comparison of tourism sustainability in Sicily and in other Italian regions.

The Determinants of Merger Withdrawals’ Abnormal Returns in The Australian Market

2015 ◽  
pp. 89-110 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thuy Nguyen Thu ◽  
Giang Dao Thi Thu ◽  
Hoang Truong Huy
Keyword(s):  
Financial Crisis ◽  
Event Study ◽  
Abnormal Returns ◽  
Market Response ◽  
Crisis Period ◽  
Valuation Effects ◽  
Event Study Method ◽  
Private And Public ◽  
Method Of Payment ◽  
The Impact

This paper examines the abnormal returns in merger withdrawals in Australia, especially distinguishing the market response between private and public targets. We also study the determinants of those abnormal returns, including the method of payment and the impact of financial crisis periods. Using the event study method, we document that in the Australian context, the announced withdrawal of mergers involving private targets creates significantly negative valuation effects in comparison with the valuation effects in withdrawal of mergers involving public targets. We also find that a financial crisis period strongly affects abnormal returns of merger withdrawals. However, the method of payment does not have any impact on the abnormal returns.

The Doctor Faustus Dossier

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Adrian Daub
Keyword(s):  
Twentieth Century ◽  
Los Angeles ◽  
Primary Source ◽  
Music And Literature ◽  
Twentieth Century Music ◽  
Private And Public ◽  
Doctor Faustus ◽  
Public Lives ◽  
Nazi Era ◽  
The Impact

Arnold Schoenberg and Thomas Mann, two towering figures of twentieth-century music and literature, both found refuge in the German-exile community in Los Angeles during the Nazi era. This complete edition of their correspondence provides a glimpse inside their private and public lives and culminates in the famous dispute over Mann's novel Doctor Faustus. In the thick of the controversy was Theodor Adorno, then a budding philosopher, whose contribution to the Faustus affair would make him an enemy of both families. Gathered here for the first time in English, the letters are complemented by diary entries, related articles, and other primary source materials, as well as an introduction that contextualizes the impact that these two great artists had on twentieth-century thought and culture.

Regional determinants in the development of the Lviv startup ecosystem

2019 ◽  
pp. 74-86
Author(s):  
Marianna Kokhan ◽  
Anastasiya Mazur
Keyword(s):  
Global Market ◽  
Scientific Development ◽  
Local Policy ◽  
It Industry ◽  
Successful Development ◽  
Corporate Universities ◽  
Regional Leadership ◽  
Focus Strategy ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The City

The article considers the concept of startups and ecosystems of startup development. It investigates the innovativeness ratings of countries and regional ecosystems of startups and the factors influencing the successful development of startups. The article considers the ranking of the best regional startup ecosystems in the world. It covers the experience of the leading regions, whose effectiveness is driven by attention to financing, networking, expanding access to markets, attracting and nurturing talents, accumulating experience and scientific development. Particular attention is given to the impact of the specialization and effectiveness of the regional focus strategy. Based on the methodology and results of the Global Startup Ecosystem Ranking 2019, authors have empirically investigated the startup ecosystem of the Lviv city. Authors described and systemized the startups operating in the city, the elements, and dynamics of the urban startup infrastructure. The preconditions for successful development of startups - financing, talents, experience, connectedness, access to markets - have been identified. The effectiveness of the activity of city authorities, the local policy of promoting the startup environment development - documents, measures and results – have been investigated. The main factors of Lviv’s regional leadership in the development of digital startups in Ukraine are: the dynamic development of the IT industry, the development of digital competencies and the concentration of talent in leading universities, the development of corporate universities and innovative infrastructure, the development of infrastructure and comfort in the city. For the development of the Lviv startup ecosystem, it is recommended to focus the efforts on further accumulation and transfer of experience, retention of talents, improvement of technology transfer systems, focusing on areas of exclusive competence while expanding access to finance and the global market.

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