UK Local Government: The Impact of Modernization on Departmentalism

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate the impact of the introduction of the business rates retention scheme (BRRS) in England which transferred financial liability for backdated appeals to LAs. Under the original scheme, business rates revenue, mandatory relief and liability for successful appeals is spilt 50/50 between central government and local government which both share the rewards of growth and bear the risk of losses. Design/methodology/approach The research adopts a microanalysis approach into researching local government finance, conducting a case study of Leeds, to investigate the impact of appeals liability and reveal disparities in impact, through detailed examination of multiple perspectives in one of the largest cities in the UK. Findings The case study reveals that Leeds, despite having a buoyant commercial economy driven by retail and service sector growth, has been detrimentally impacted by BRRS as backdated appeals have outweighed uplift in business rates income. Fundamentally BRRS is not a “one size fits all” model – it results in winners and losers – which will be exacerbated if local authorities get to keep 100 per cent of their business rates from 2020. Research limitations/implications LAs’ income is more volatile as a consequence of both the rates retention and appeals liability aspects of BRRS and will become more so with the move to 100 per cent retention and liability. Practical implications Such volatility impairs the ability of local authorities to invest in growth at the same time as providing front line services over the medium term – precisely the opposite of what BRRS was intended to do. It also incentivises the construction of new floorspace, which generates risks overbuilding and exacerbating over-supply. Originality/value The research reveals the significant impact of appeals liability on LAs’ business rates revenues which will be compounded with the move to a fiscally neutral business rates system and 100 per cent business rates retention by 2020.

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Traditionalism and politics: A case study of Northern Nigeria

Government and Opposition ◽

10.1111/j.1477-7053.1967.tb01182.x ◽

1967 ◽

Vol 2 (4) ◽

pp. 509-524 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

B. J. O. Dudley

Keyword(s):

Social Change ◽

Local Government ◽

Status Quo ◽

Political Elite ◽

High Time ◽

The Political ◽

Northern Nigeria ◽

The North ◽

The Right

In the debate on the Native Authority (Amendment) Law of 1955, the late Premier of the North, Sir Ahmadu Bello, Sardauna of Sokoto, replying to the demand that ‘it is high time in the development of local government systems in this Region that obsolete and undemocratic ways of appointing Emirs’ Councils should close’, commented that ‘the right traditions that we have gone away from are the cutting off of the hands of thieves, and that has caused a lot of thieving in this country. Why should we not be cutting (off) the hands of thieves in order to reduce thieving? That is logical and it is lawful in our tradition and custom here.’ This could be read as a defence against social change, a recrudescence of ‘barbarism’ after the inroads of pax Britannica, and a plea for the retention of the status quo and the entrenched privilege of the political elite.

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‘I’m not being paid for this conversation’: Uncovering the challenges of artist–academic collaborations in the neoliberal institution

International Journal of Cultural Studies ◽

10.1177/1367877919885951 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 23 (3) ◽

pp. 317-333

Author(s):

Alena Pfoser ◽

Sara de Jong

Keyword(s):

Collaborative Work ◽

Knowledge Exchange ◽

Academic Research ◽

The Political ◽

Institutional Pressures ◽

Negative Effects ◽

Collective Response ◽

And Shifts ◽

The Impact

Artist–academic collaborations are fuelled by increasing institutional pressures to show the impact of academic research. This article departs from the celebratory accounts of collaborative work and pragmatic toolkits for successful partnerships, which are dominant in existing scholarship, arguing for the need to critically interrogate the structural conditions under which collaborations take place. Based on a reflexive case study of a project developed in the context of Tate Exchange, one of the UK’s highest-profile platforms for knowledge exchange, we reveal three sets of (unequal) pressures, which mark artist–academic collaborations in the contemporary neoliberal academy: asymmetric funding and remuneration structures; uneven pressures of audit cultures; acceleration and temporal asymmetries. Innovations at the level of individual projects or partners can only mitigate the negative effects to a limited extent. Instead this article offers a systemic critique of the political economy of artist–academic collaborations and shifts the research agenda to developing a collective response.

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The (No-)Public Space. Reviewing the Transformation of Al-Qaed Ibrahim's Urban Image

The Journal of Public Space ◽

10.32891/jps.v5i1.1257 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 177-192

Author(s):

Iman Hegazy

Keyword(s):

Public Space ◽

Public Spaces ◽

The Political ◽

Urban Image ◽

Political Conflicts ◽

Political Events ◽

The One ◽

The Impact ◽

The City

Public spaces are defined as places that should be accessible to all inhabitants without restrictions. They are spaces not only for gathering, socializing and celebrating but also for initiating discussions, protesting and demonstrating. Thus, public spaces are intangible expressions of democracy—a topic that the paper tackles its viability within the context of Alexandria, case study Al-Qaed Ibrahim square. On the one hand, Al-Qaed Ibrahim square which is named after Al-Qaed Ibrahim mosque is a sacred element in the urban fabric; whereas on the other it represents a non-religious revolutionary symbol in the Alexandrian urban public sphere. This contradiction necessitates finding an approach to study the characteristic of this square/mosque within the Alexandrian context—that is to realize the impact of the socio-political events on the image of Al-Qaed Ibrahim square, and how it has transformed into a revolutionary urban symbol and yet into a no-public space. The research revolves around the hypothesis that the political events taking place in Egypt after January 25th, 2011, have directly affected the development of urban public spaces, especially in Alexandria. Therefore methodologically, the paper reviews the development of Al-Qaed Ibrahim square throughout the Egyptian socio-political changes, with a focus on the square’s urban and emotional contextual transformations. For this reason, the study adheres to two theories: the "city elements" by Kevin Lynch and "emotionalizing the urban" by Frank Eckardt. The aim is not only to study the mentioned public space but also to figure out the changes in people’s societal behaviour and emotion toward it. Through empowering public spaces, the paper calls the different Egyptian political and civic powers to recognize each other, regardless of their religious, ethnical or political affiliations. It is a step towards replacing the ongoing political conflicts, polarization, and suppression with societal reconciliation, coexistence, and democracy.

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LOCAL GOVERNMENT AS THE POLITICAL MANAGEMENT: THEORETICAL-METHODIC ASPECT

EurasianUnionScientists ◽

10.31618/esu.2413-9335.2020.2.74.736 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 2 (5(74)) ◽

pp. 72-75

Author(s):

A.B. Shumilina ◽

O.A. Artyuhin ◽

A.A. Krickaya

Keyword(s):

Local Government ◽

State Government ◽

The State ◽

The Political ◽

Public Power ◽

Political Management ◽

Political Governance

The article examines the peculiarities of the organization of local government in modern Russia, explores the peculiarities of its interaction with the state government, identifies the essential characteristics of local government, defines its role in the system of political governance and public power

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Social Media as Alternative Public Sphere for Citizen Participation and Protest in National Politics in Zimbabwe

Advances in Social Networking and Online Communities - Exploring the Role of Social Media in Transnational Advocacy ◽

10.4018/978-1-5225-2854-8.ch002 ◽

2018 ◽

pp. 17-35 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Collen Sabao ◽

Tendai Owen Chikara

Keyword(s):

Social Media ◽

Political Participation ◽

Public Sphere ◽

Citizen Participation ◽

The Political ◽

National Politics ◽

Social Media Platforms ◽

The Impact

The chapter examines and discusses the role and communicative potential of social media based platforms in citizen political participation and protests in Zimbabwe specifically focusing on the #thisflag movement on Facebook, Twitter and Whatsapp. #thisflag is a social media-based platform that rose to challenge the Zimbabwean government over the political and economic decay as well as rampant corruption characterising the country contemporarily. While a new phenomenon to Zimbabwe and Zimbabwean politics, the impact and communicative potential of social media as an alternative public sphere was recently tested in nationwide protest stayaway organised through the Facebook and Twitter movement under the #thisflag handle/brand. This chapter discusses the manners in which such social media platforms impact national politics in Zimbabwe as well as globally, specifically looking at the #thisflag movement as a case study.

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Social Media as Alternative Public Sphere for Citizen Participation and Protest in National Politics in Zimbabwe

African Studies ◽

10.4018/978-1-7998-3019-1.ch041 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 772-786

Author(s):

Collen Sabao ◽

Tendai Owen Chikara

Keyword(s):

Social Media ◽

Political Participation ◽

Public Sphere ◽

Citizen Participation ◽

The Political ◽

National Politics ◽

Social Media Platforms ◽

The Impact

The chapter examines and discusses the role and communicative potential of social media based platforms in citizen political participation and protests in Zimbabwe specifically focusing on the #thisflag movement on Facebook, Twitter and Whatsapp. #thisflag is a social media-based platform that rose to challenge the Zimbabwean government over the political and economic decay as well as rampant corruption characterising the country contemporarily. While a new phenomenon to Zimbabwe and Zimbabwean politics, the impact and communicative potential of social media as an alternative public sphere was recently tested in nationwide protest stayaway organised through the Facebook and Twitter movement under the #thisflag handle/brand. This chapter discusses the manners in which such social media platforms impact national politics in Zimbabwe as well as globally, specifically looking at the #thisflag movement as a case study.

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Fragmented Authoritarianism and Protest Channels: A Case Study of Resistance to Privatizing a Hospital

Journal of Current Chinese Affairs ◽

10.1177/186810261304200208 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 42 (2) ◽

pp. 195-224 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Yao Li

Keyword(s):

Local Government ◽

Policy Implementation ◽

North China ◽

Social Stability ◽

Local Authorities ◽

Fragmented Authoritarianism ◽

Two Bodies

Can citizens in an authoritarian country like China influence policy implementation? Two types of scholarship indicate ways that they can: The first proposes that policy implementation is carried out through a fragmented authoritarian system that requires consultation and cooperation among various government units, and this system is amenable to pressure from outside groups. The second examines institutional channels designed to handle grievances and bridge communication between citizens and the authorities. In this paper, I emphasize a link between these two bodies of scholarship, showing how protest channels are connected to the fragmented authoritarian system and how the imperative to maintain social stability leads higher-level authorities to resolve departmental conflicts in favour of protesters. I do this by examining a struggle against the privatization of a hospital in North China, a case that illustrates how protesters successfully employed both the petition system and the opportunities offered by the fragmented authoritarian system to develop powerful alliances, to peacefully pressure top local authorities to intervene and to overcome opposition in the local government, leading to finalizing the municipalization of the hospital.

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Dahomey and the Slave Trade: Reflections on the Historiography of the Rise of Dahomey

The Journal of African History ◽

10.1017/s0021853700036665 ◽

1986 ◽

Vol 27 (2) ◽

pp. 237-267 ◽

Cited By ~ 20

Author(s):

Robin Law

Keyword(s):

Slave Trade ◽

The Political ◽

Political Centralization ◽

The Impact ◽

The Relationship ◽

Overseas Market

The rise of the kingdom of Dahomey coincided with the growth of the slave trade in the area, and consequently has often served as a case study of the impact of the slave trade upon African societies. The article reviews the historiography of the rise of Dahomey, in an attempt to clarify the relationship between the nature of the Dahomian state and its participation in the slave trade. It considers, and refutes, the view that the rulers of Dahomey had originally intended to bring the slave trade to an end. It examines the militaristic character of the Dahomian state, and suggests that this is best understood as a consequence of increased warfare stimulated by the overseas market for war captives. Finally, it examines and partially endorses those views which have presented the political centralization of Dahomey as a constructive response to the problems of order posed by slave-raiding.

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The Drivers and Impacts of Family Obligations and Overseas Remittances Practices: A Case Study of Pakistani-Origin Individuals in the UK

Social Policy and Society ◽

10.1017/s1474746413000493 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 13 (2) ◽

pp. 177-188 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Nadia Bashir

Keyword(s):

Cultural Values ◽

Daily Basis ◽

The Political ◽

Family Obligations ◽

Big Society ◽

Practical Support ◽

Pakistani Origin ◽

The Uk ◽

The Impact

This article draws on detailed case studies of Pakistani-origin individuals in the UK to explore the complex and extraordinary financial and practical support they provide to family members within their neighbourhood and to family abroad in Pakistan. The article investigates the practice of remitting and the impact on those remitting funds abroad in the context of the struggles and multiple obligations they face on a daily basis in making ends meet. It is set against the political backdrop of the Conservative Party's ‘Big Society’ and ‘Broken Britain’ agenda, which points to the disintegration of values and duty and obligation in contemporary Britain. Contrary to the standards of ‘selfishness and individualism’, the article argues that religious and cultural values compel individuals to provide unrequited support, which often creates very difficult financial and practical situations, resulting in the need to compromise individuals’ own needs and opportunities.

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