Economic Development in Britain: A Vacuum in Central-Local Government Relations

1986 ◽  
Vol 4 (4) ◽  
pp. 439-450 ◽  
Author(s):  
K Young
Keyword(s):  
Economic Development ◽  
Local Government ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Local Authority ◽  
Central Government ◽  
Local Economic Development ◽  
Local Authorities ◽  
Government Relations ◽  
Recent Developments ◽  
Employment Goals

Local authority involvement in economic matters has become widespread since the early 1970s. Recent developments in the pattern of local economic activity have been the increasing use of section 137 of the Local Government Act 1972 to fund local programmes, the spread of local authority involvement from the Assisted Areas to the more prosperous regions, and the increasing interest shown by the smaller shire districts, often in rural areas. The portfolio of possible interventions has also changed, bringing a new diversity to the practice of local economic development. Whereas central government has in the past eschewed the temptation to exercise close controls over these activities, the new diversity of local economic initiatives presents it with new dilemmas. It can no longer be assumed that such initiatives will be supportive of central government's spatial or sectoral policies. This vacuum in central-local relations is unlikely to remain, and renewed pressures to grant specific economic development powers to local authorities can be expected. If these claims are accepted, central government will be drawn inexorably into local economic affairs by the need to develop the capacity of local authorities to intervene effectively in pursuit of economic and employment goals.

Laws as an Instrument of Policy: A Study in Central-Local Government Relations

1985 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. 241-265 ◽  
Author(s):  
Edward Page
Keyword(s):  
Local Government ◽  
Local Authority ◽  
Central Government ◽  
Public Policies ◽  
Legal Framework ◽  
Direct Reference ◽  
Local Authorities ◽  
Government Relations ◽  
Local Services

ABSTRACTLaw is an instrument which can be used by central government to influence its environment, including other levels of government. This paper examines a number of fundamental questions about the nature of legal influence upon local authorities in Britain. Legislation affects local authorities in a variety of ways: through making direct reference to local authority organisations and the services they provide; through affecting all large organisations, public or private; and through affecting the organisations and individuals with which local authorities interact. In the 1970s a large proportion of legislation was concerned with the financial aspects of local services. Relatively few laws make substantive changes in the legal framework within which local authorities operate and much legislation can be categorised as ‘anodyne’. However, particular items of legislation can produce such substantive changes in public policies and in the powers of different organisations within government.

Incomplete Fiscal Decentralisation: An Impediment for Local Economic Development in Ghana

2021 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 90-105
Author(s):  
Audrey Smock Amoah ◽  
Imoro Braimah ◽  
Theresa Yaba Baah-Ennumh
Keyword(s):  
Economic Development ◽  
Local Government ◽  
Central Government ◽  
Local Economic Development ◽  
Secondary Data ◽  
Policy Recommendations ◽  
Potential Benefits ◽  
Fiscal Decentralisation ◽  
Local Government Level ◽  
Government Level

For the past three decades Ghana’s democratic decentralisation policy has sought in vein to establish a local government system capable of pursuing Local Economic Development (LED). One of the major impediments has been the insincere implementation of fiscal decentralisation for the local government to provide the enabling environment for LED. This paper employed primary and secondary data from the Wassa East District Assembly (WEDA) to assess the progress so far in Ghana’s fiscal decentralisation and its effect on LED. The paper highlights the potential benefits of LED and the incapacitation of the District Assembly by the Central government for LED financing. The paper again reveals the effects of the constraints of fiscal decentralisation on LED at the local government level and makes policy recommendations towards effective fiscal decentralisation for improvement in LED.

scholarly journals Possibilities and limitations of local economic development in Serbia

2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 18-30
Author(s):  
Dušan Aničić ◽  
Jasmina Gligorijević ◽  
Miloje Jelić ◽  
Milosav Stojanović
Keyword(s):  
Economic Development ◽  
Local Government ◽  
Central Government ◽  
Local Economic Development ◽  
Policy Instruments ◽  
Developed Countries ◽  
Living Standard ◽  
Government Influence ◽  
High Unemployment Rate ◽  
Development Concept

The practice in developed countries has shown a necessity for local government's stronger inclusion in local economic development issues. The economic system in Serbia has features of high unemployment rate and low living standard among the population, and therefore local government taking a larger part in local economic development issues is seen as a real possibility for reducing these problems. Although most of the economic policy instruments lie within the central government jurisdiction, which largely restricts local government possibilities, there is still an important area for local government influence on economic development. There are numerous obstacles for a successful application of the local economic development concept in Serbia, which causes the municipality and regional potentials to be used much less than the possibilities allow, and it has a negative reflection, especially in rural and undeveloped areas.

scholarly journals A reassessment of local government’s financial position and performance: The case of Ireland

2020 ◽  
Vol 68 (2) ◽  
pp. 1-35
Author(s):  
Gerard Turley ◽  
Rémi Di medio ◽  
Stephen McNena
Keyword(s):  
Local Government ◽  
Financial Performance ◽  
Local Authority ◽  
Central Government ◽  
Performance Indicator ◽  
Operating Performance ◽  
Fiscal Sustainability ◽  
Local Authorities ◽  
Financial Position ◽  
And Performance

AbstractGiven the changes in the Irish economy since the economic crisis and, more specifically, reforms in the local government sector, this paper reassesses the financial position and fiscal sustainability of local authorities in Ireland. To do this we employ a local government financial performance framework that measures liquidity and solvency, but also operating performance and collection rates, for different sources of revenue income. Using financial data sourced from local council income and expenditure accounts and balance sheets, we report and analyse the financial position and performance during the 2007–17 period. The results indicate an improvement in the financial performance of local councils since the early 2010s. Cross-council differences persist, in particular, between large urban local authorities and smaller rural local authorities, albeit only for the liquidity and operating performance measures. Among the small rural councils, Sligo County Council’s financial position, although improving, remains a serious matter with ongoing consultation with and monitoring by central government. To help improve the measurement of local authority financial performance we recommend inclusion of this framework in the local authority Annual Financial Statement and also in the Performance Indicator Report with a view to making financial reports more accessible and transparent to citizens and taxpayers and, ultimately, to help improve performance and service delivery by the local authorities.

scholarly journals Local Authority Responses to Unemployment

1970 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sean Bevin
Keyword(s):  
Economic Development ◽  
New Zealand ◽  
Case Studies ◽  
Local Authority ◽  
Local Economic Development ◽  
Local Authorities ◽  
Employment Creation ◽  
Local Employment

This paper examines the initiatives that local authorities in New Zealand have taken since the late 1970s to facilitate the economic development and employment creation in their districts. The paper examines why local authorities have become involved in both issues, the variation across them in both level and range of initiatives, and levels of effectiveness. Several case studies will highlight a number of the opportunities as well as the difficulties involved. The paper concludes that whilst local authorities have attempted to play a constructive and responsible role, there are still a number of unresolved issues concerning their role in local economic development. This paper argues that local authorities should be involved and have the ability to develop and implement programmes to address local employment issues.

Local Authority Provision versus Club Provision

10.1068/c9855 ◽  
2000 ◽  
Vol 18 (2) ◽  
pp. 207-223 ◽  
Author(s):  
David N King ◽  
Yue Ma
Keyword(s):  
Great Britain ◽  
Local Government ◽  
Local Authority ◽  
Central Government ◽  
Mode Of Delivery ◽  
The Other ◽  
Local Authorities ◽  
Different Types ◽  
Government Provision

The main purpose of this paper is to distinguish clearly between local authorities and clubs and to consider the circumstances in which individual consumers would prefer to have services provided by one or the other. We also consider the circumstances in which consumers would prefer individual or central government provision. There are also some hybrid positions between different types of provision. We end with some examples of cases where the mode of delivery in Great Britain has changed, or is changing, from traditional local government provision to other forms. Our model suggests a rationale for these changes.

Local Authority Responses to Grants: Different Types of Response and Equilibrium

1989 ◽  
Vol 7 (3) ◽  
pp. 313-320 ◽  
Author(s):  
M M Barrow
Keyword(s):  
Local Government ◽  
Government Spending ◽  
Local Authority ◽  
Central Government ◽  
Local Authorities ◽  
Tax Rate ◽  
Government Grants ◽  
Different Types ◽  
Game Theoretic

Game theoretic techniques are used to examine the case of local authorities facing a system of closed-ended central government grants. A diagrammatic exposition of the results from a previous paper is provided, and the results extended to cover alternative types of equilibrium. It is shown that local government behaviour may be Pareto inefficient in response to grants, the inefficiency being manifested in too high a level of local government spending. It is also shown that authorities which try to protect their local tax rate may be at a disadvantage relative to those which make a commitment to high spending.

scholarly journals OTONOMI DAERAH DAN PENGELOLAAN SUMBERDAYA ALAM : KASUS PENGELOLAAN HUTAN DI SULAWESI SELATAN

PERENNIAL ◽  
2006 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 25
Author(s):  
Baharuddin Nurkin
Keyword(s):  
Forest Management ◽  
Local Government ◽  
Natural Resources ◽  
Key Words ◽  
Local Authority ◽  
Central Government ◽  
The Other ◽  
Management Policy ◽  
Local Authorities ◽  
South Sulawesi

Decentralization has been regarded as a best way to utilize natural resources for local people benefit and to distribute development results fairly through out of entirely of the country. However, experience has shown that in some cases decentralization in forest management policy was not implemented by local authorities in balancing way of both utilization and conservation. On the other hand, local government complained that even though power transfer to local authority has been implemented since the Indonesian reform politic, central government is still maintaining control over the forest management policy. This article describes decentralization experiences of forest management policy in South Sulawesi. Their impacts followed by some suggestions are also outlined. Key words : Decentralization, Forest management, Local Authority, Central Goverment

Industrial Development and Municipal Reorganization: Conflict, Cooperation, and Regional Effects

1995 ◽  
Vol 13 (3) ◽  
pp. 297-314 ◽  
Author(s):  
E Razin ◽  
A Hazan
Keyword(s):  
Economic Development ◽  
Local Government ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Industrial Development ◽  
Central Government ◽  
Free Market ◽  
Industrial Areas ◽  
Rural Space ◽  
Existing Structures ◽  
Regional Effects

In this paper the nature, outcomes, and regional effects of conflicts over the municipal affiliation of industrial areas and large facilities in urban fringe and rural areas in Israel are examined, based on an analysis of sixty-seven conflicts that took place during the period 1961–93. It is demonstrated that the potential for conflicts has increased because of the growing dispersal of industry into rural space, the increasing reliance of local government on self-income, and unique Israeli circumstances. These conditions have encouraged two contradictory options for local government, both promoted by neoconservative free-market approaches. The first consists of a growing role for local government in economic development efforts, accompanied by intense competition among local authorities and by the establishment of voluntary modes of municipal cooperation in initiating and managing industrial areas. Cooperation is intended to achieve a just distribution of regional wealth and to promote the fiscal soundness of local government. The second option is to remove nodes of economic development from local government to local industrial councils and to free export processing zones, loosely controlled by the central government. These initiatives practically strip local government of its potential industrial base, with the intention of promoting national and regional economic growth. Reforms of the above types tend to originate in the periphery, where the flexibility to change existing structures is greater than in central regions. Despite this pioneering role of the periphery, the specific implications of these reforms for local autonomy and fiscal viability of local government in peripheral regions are, at best, mixed.

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