Local resistance will thwart reforms in China

2016 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Central Government ◽  
Local Level ◽  
Limited Capacity ◽  
Local Resistance ◽  
Front Line ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Administrative Reforms ◽  
Political Contention ◽  
Wealth Redistribution ◽  
Major Progress

Subject Political contention between central and local government. Significance The central government has identified a set of reforms to address China's structural economic and social problems, but it faces a challenge ensuring compliance. Even if the Xi administration manages to silence political opponents in the top echelons, a greater challenge lies on the front line of policy implementation, at the county and township levels where silent non-implementation and policy distortion threaten the outcome of the reforms. Impacts Beijing has limited capacity to monitor local cadres; major progress is likely only on reforms singled out as national priorities. Political and administrative reforms and environmental policies have the brightest prospects for local implementation. Financial reform, wealth redistribution and marketisation of local-level state-owned enterprises will be more challenging.

Devolution offers rewards in Egypt, but may be gradual

2018 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Local Government ◽  
Central Government ◽  
Local Level ◽  
Private Investment ◽  
Local Economy ◽  
Local Administration ◽  
Local Elections ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Democratic Reform ◽  
Job Opportunities

Subject The Local Administration Draft Law. Significance A new Local Administration Draft Law is currently being discussed in parliament to replace the existing legislation, dating from 1979. The capacity of local government to carry out various developmental functions has long been undermined by the centralised political and fiscal system. The new law, however, aims to give broader powers to subnational authorities. The law is meant to pave the way for local elections, scheduled for the first quarter of 2019. Impacts The central government will use local elections to boost its popularity and demonstrate commitment to democratic reform. The application of the new law will increase competition among local government units to attract private investment. The local economy will grow in areas where councillors can ease the process of doing business and decrease bureaucracy. More job opportunities will be created at the local level.

Public leadership: motivated by values not bonuses

2012 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
pp. 112-120 ◽  
Author(s):  
Su Maddock
Keyword(s):  
Public Services ◽  
Central Government ◽  
Local Level ◽  
Transformative Leadership ◽  
New Governance ◽  
Executive Leaders ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Public Leadership ◽  
The Media ◽  
The Uk

PurposeTurbulent times are here to stay and public leadership needs to become less managerial, more adept at harnessing resources and transforming governance. While the media continues to search for heroic leaders there is a growing awareness that there is more to public leadership than charisma and that compliant leaders do little to nurture innovation. The purpose of this paper is to address the varying concepts of leadership within public services in the UK.Design/methodology/approachThis paper addresses the varying concepts of leadership within public services in the UK and offers a comparative discussion on these choices of types of leadership.FindingsEvidence shows that successful public leaders tend to motivated by social values rather than money and that in the UK, transformative leadership is stronger at the local level than in central government, where although embryonic, political and executive leaders are forging platforms for innovation and new governance systems that central governments could learn from.Originality/valueThere are examples of exemplary public leadership in the UK and this paper attempts to unpack where these are, how they challenge existing leadership thinking and why new forms of leadership are critical at this time.

The Politics of Decentralization in Ghana’s Fourth Republic

2014 ◽  
Vol 57 (1) ◽  
pp. 49-69 ◽  
Author(s):  
Emmanuel Debrah
Keyword(s):  
Local Governments ◽  
Central Government ◽  
Local Level ◽  
Chief Executive ◽  
Civil Servants ◽  
Front Line ◽  
Popular Participation ◽  
Rural Districts ◽  
Fourth Republic ◽  
District Assemblies

Abstract:This article assesses how the District Assemblies in Ghana’s Fourth Republic have exercised political, administrative, and fiscal powers transferred to them by the central government. It notes that the creation of the assemblies has promoted popular participation and boosted the autonomy of front-line officials in terms of decision-making and the allocation of financial resources at the local level. However, the central government retains the authority to appoint the District Chief Executive and 30 percent of the assembly members. Local governments experience delays in the transfer of funds, an inability to absorb civil servants of decentralized departments into the local culture, and a lack of capacity to raise revenue for development. The article argues that local election of the District Chief Executive and increased allocation of funds to the rural districts would attract entrepreneurs and skilled civil servants who would be able to implement effective decentralization.

Spain’s struggling multi-party system is here to stay

2019 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Political Discourse ◽  
Party System ◽  
Central Government ◽  
Local Level ◽  
Current Situation ◽  
Government Formation ◽  
New Parties ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Party Leaders ◽  
Corrupt Party

Subject Spain's party system. Significance As Spain heads towards its fourth general election in four years (in November), a fragmented party system has failed to live up to expectations. New parties -- Ciudadanos, Unidas Podemos and Vox -- are not burdened by old, often corrupt party structures, but with notable exceptions at regional and local level they have been unable to contribute positively to central government formation. Impacts Political discourse will become increasingly acrimonious due to mistrust and some ill feeling among party leaders. Devising policy and a vision for Spain's future will be hampered by arguments over who is to blame for the current situation. Such risks to socioeconomic stability as unemployment, healthcare and pensions sustainability will remain largely unattended to.

Centralisation will curtail China’s adaptability

2019 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Central Government ◽  
Political Power ◽  
Local Level ◽  
Local Environment ◽  
Economic Reforms ◽  
Negative Consequences ◽  
Xi Jinping ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Policy Experimentation ◽  
Local Officials

Subject The negative consequences of policy centralisation in China. Significance Policy experimentation at the local level has played a key role in China’s economic reforms and the Communist Party’s regime durability. However, it has decreased significantly under President Xi Jinping, due largely to a recentralisation of political power and the ongoing anti-corruption campaign. Impacts Individual policymakers will still implement policies tailored to the local environment and potentially contradictory to central directives. Local officials will be inclined to conceal innovative policies and solutions from the central government. Despite centralisation, foreign organisations are most likely to succeed in China if they engage at the local level.

Capex proves a blunt policy instrument for China

2015 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Interest Rates ◽  
Central Government ◽  
Capital Expenditure ◽  
Local Level ◽  
Policy Instrument ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Real Cost ◽  
Fast Tracking ◽  
Industrial Sectors ◽  
Recent Developments

Significance Recent developments suggest that policymakers are happy with slower investment growth, but worry about the possibility of an abrupt slowdown in lending and the risk that household consumption will not yet be able to pick up the slack as investment slows. Impacts The central government will struggle to control spending at the local level. Policymakers will find it difficult to channel capital towards health, education and housing as urbanisation and development targets demand. If deflationary pressure from oil prices and overcapacity feeds through this will drive up the real cost of credit. Without further liberalisation of interest rates, funding future investment is likely to become more costly. Fast-tracking projects in industrial sectors where capital expenditure is weakening may risk inefficient investment.

China will reform social credit for tighter discipline

2021 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Central Government ◽  
Local Level ◽  
Local Variation ◽  
Second Phase ◽  
Due Diligence ◽  
Operational Decisions ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Social Credit ◽  
Institutional Accountability ◽  
The Government

Significance A second phase will now begin, in which the government will review and reform the system based on assessments of its successes and shortcomings so far. Impacts The central government will play a stronger role in dictating limits to the SCS at the local level. There will be greater protections for personal and corporate data, and greater institutional accountability. There will be some regional and local variation, which businesses need to take into account in their compliance strategies. The SCS may also assist businesses in due diligence, hiring and other operational decisions.

Concept of Power Decentralization in Political Science and Approaches to its Methodological Study

2017 ◽  
pp. 229-235
Author(s):  
Halyna Kuzub
Keyword(s):  
Political Science ◽  
Moral Education ◽  
Symbolic Interactionism ◽  
Western Europe ◽  
Central Government ◽  
Local Level ◽  
Perfect State ◽  
Political Ideas ◽  
The Usa ◽  
Structural Functionalism

The problem of power decentralization is up to date in a modern political science. We can trace its historical genesis first in European and further in the USA political ideas. Decentralization of power was considered along with the study of a perfect state system, civil society and local self-government. It is argued that the major part of successful process of power decentralization in the Western Europe was due to the idea nature for their political culture. The article attempts to retrace the history of the idea of power decentralization. As a background of the investigations of such thinkers as J. Bodin, J. Althusius, J. Locke, J.-J. Rousseau, C.-L. Montesquieu, R. Owen, C. Fourier, J. S.Mill, T. Jefferson, A. de Tocqueville and M. Dragomanov were thoroughly investigated. The paper also considers the modern definitions of power decentralization. Likewise the value of structural functionalism, symbolic interactionism and constructivism are argued in terms of further surveys of power decentralization. To conclude, the author opines that civil servants training, their theoretical teaching and moral education have to become the main objectives in perspective investigations. Furthermore, the success of power decentralization depends not only on devoting authority by central government, but also on capacity of its implementation by deputies on the local level. Keywords: Decentralization of power, deconcentration of power, administrative and political decentralization, classical and non-classical philosophy, structural functionalism, symbolic interactionism, construc-tivism

Collaborative design in public services: a wicked problem-reframing case

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Patrícia Moura e Sá ◽  
Catarina Frade ◽  
Fernanda Jesus ◽  
Mónica Lopes ◽  
Teresa Maneca Lima ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Collaborative Design ◽  
Success Factors ◽  
Central Government ◽  
Wicked Problem ◽  
Low Density ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Critical Success ◽  
Definition Of ◽  
The Right

PurposeWicked problems require collaborative innovation approaches. Understanding the problem from the users' perspective is essential. Based on a complex and ill-defined case, the purpose of the current paper is to identify some critical success factors in defining the “right problem” to be addressed.Design/methodology/approachAn empirical research study was carried out in a low-density municipality (case study). Extensive data were collected from official databases, individual semi-structured interviews and a focus group involving citizens, local authorities, civil servants and other relevant stakeholders.FindingsAs defined by the central government, the problem to be addressed by the research team was to identify which justice services should be made available locally to a small- and low-density community. The problem was initially formulated using top-down reasoning. In-depth contact with citizens and key local players revealed that the lack of justice services was not “the issue” for that community. Mobility constraints and the shortage of economic opportunities had a considerable impact on the lack of demand for justice services. By using a bottom-up perspective, it was possible to reframe the problem to be addressed and suggest a new concept to be tested at later stages.Social implicationsThe approach followed called attention to the importance of listening to citizens and local organisations with a profound knowledge of the territory to effectively identify and circumscribe a local problem in the justice field.Originality/valueThe paper highlights the limitations of traditional rational problem-solving approaches and contributes to expanding the voice-of-the-customer principle showing how it can lead to a substantially new definition of the problem to be addressed.

scholarly journals Reflections on the L’Aquila trial and the social dimensions of disaster risk

2019 ◽  
Vol 28 (4) ◽  
pp. 434-445 ◽  
Author(s):  
Angelo Jonas Imperiale ◽  
Frank Vanclay
Keyword(s):  
Local Community ◽  
Social Issues ◽  
Local Level ◽  
Earthquake Swarm ◽  
Disaster Risk ◽  
Community Empowerment ◽  
Court Case ◽  
Civil Protection ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Social

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to reflect on what can be learned about disaster risk reduction (DRR) from the L’Aquila trial of scientists. The court case was initiated because of a controversial meeting on 31 March 2009 of the Major Risks Committee (MRC), held under the auspices of the Italian Department of Civil Protection. The purpose of the meeting was to consider (prior to the fatal earthquake of 6 April 2009) disaster risk in the L’Aquila area, which was being affected by an earthquake swarm since October 2008. Design/methodology/approach The authors undertook a document analysis of trial materials, and a review of academic and media commentary about the trial. Findings The legal process revealed that disaster governance was inadequate and not informed by the DRR paradigm or international guidelines. Risk assessment was carried out only in a techno-scientific manner, with little acknowledgement of the social issues influencing risks at the local community level. There was no inclusion of local knowledge or engagement of local people in transformative DRR strategies. Originality/value Most previous commentary is inadequate in terms of not considering the institutional, scientific and social responsibilities for DRR as exposed by the trial. This paper is unique in that it considers the contents of the MRC meeting as well as all trial documents. It provides a comprehensive reflection on the implications of this case for DRR and the resilience of peoples and places at risk. It highlights that a switch from civil protection to community empowerment is needed to achieve sustainable outcomes at the local level.

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