Using the Norm Activation Model to Predict the Pro-Environmental Behaviors of Public Servants at the Central and Local Governments in Taiwan

An understanding of the environmental value-action gap between public servants at the central and local governments is essential for the effective implementation of environmental policies, which is limited in the extant literature. This study has adopted the norm activation model to explore the pro-environmental behaviors of public servants at the central and local governments in Taiwan. A total of 7567 valid questionnaires were collected, and significant differences were evident between public servants at the central (n = 3400) and local (n = 4167) governments in personal norms, awareness of consequences, ascription of responsibility, and pro-environmental behaviors. Findings revealed that personal norms were the key factors predicting pro-environmental behaviors of public servants at both the central and local governments. Results also indicated that the awareness of consequences by public servants at the central government had a direct effect on their pro-environmental behaviors, which in turn had a significant effect on their ascription of responsibility. In contrast, awareness of consequences by public servants at the local government had no significant direct effect on their pro-environmental behaviors and had only a weak positive effect on their ascription of responsibility.

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Does the “Miracle Drug” of Environmental Governance Really Improve Air Quality? Evidence from China’s System of Central Environmental Protection Inspections

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ◽

10.3390/ijerph16050850 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 16 (5) ◽

pp. 850 ◽

Cited By ~ 8

Author(s):

Ruxin Wu ◽

Piao Hu

Keyword(s):

Air Pollution ◽

Air Quality ◽

Environmental Protection ◽

Treatment Effect ◽

Local Governments ◽

Environmental Governance ◽

Central Government ◽

Local Officials ◽

The Media ◽

Positive Effect

Central environmental protection inspections have completed their goal of full coverage of 31 provinces in China, and more than 17,000 officials have been held accountable. The media has evaluated the effectiveness of central environmental protection inspections using the notions of “instant results” and the “miracle drug of environmental governance.” Can this approach effectively promote local environmental governance? This paper takes the treatment effect of central environmental protection inspections on air pollution as an example. Using the method of regression discontinuity, central environmental protection inspections are found to have a positive effect on the air quality index (AQI), but this effect is only short term and unsustainable. Additionally, there are inter-provincial differences. Judging from the research results on sub-contaminants, the treatment effect of central environmental protection inspections on air pollution is mainly reflected in PM10, PM2.5 and CO. Under the current situation in which PM10 and PM2.5 are the main assessment indexes, this phenomenon indicates that due to the political achievements and promotion of local officials and for reasons of accountability, it is more effective for the central government to conduct specific environmental assessments through local governments than to conduct central environmental protection inspections.

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Evolutionary Game and Numerical Simulation of Cultivated Land Protection Policies Implementation in China

Discrete Dynamics in Nature and Society ◽

10.1155/2021/5600298 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 2021 ◽

pp. 1-14

Author(s):

Xinhai Lu ◽

Yanwei Zhang ◽

Yucheng Zou

Keyword(s):

Numerical Simulation ◽

Local Governments ◽

Central Government ◽

The Political ◽

Cultivated Land ◽

Land Protection ◽

Rights Protection ◽

Effective Implementation ◽

Achievement Evaluation ◽

Cultivated Land Protection

The effective implementation of cultivated land protection policies (CLPP) has important practical significance for improving China’s food security and ecological security. The central government, local governments, and farmers have mutually restricted and influencing interest relations. At the same time, the codes of behavior of multistakeholders also affect the implementation of CLPP in the social system. Therefore, this article discusses the behavioral tendencies and game relationships of relevant stakeholders in the implementation of CLPP from the perspective of evolutionary games and portrays a cognitive decision-making process closer to reality. Finally, numerical simulation reveals the key variables that affect the stability strategy. Results show the following: (1) As the main body of system supply, the central government should reconstruct the political achievement evaluation system and improve the status of the effective implementation of cultivated protection policies in the political achievement evaluation of local governments. (2) The central government should increase incentives for local governments to implement CLPP and increase penalties for violations to improve the effectiveness of policy implementation. (3) To optimize the actual implementation of CLPP, increasing awareness of farmers’ rights protection, reducing rights protection costs of farmers, and increasing the constraints on the flexible implementation of CLPP are necessary.

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The Effects of Local Government Characteristics and Audit Opinion on the Performance of District and City Governments in Indonesia

Jurnal Dinamika Akuntansi dan Bisnis ◽

10.24815/jdab.v5i2.9057 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 5 (2) ◽

pp. 151-162

Author(s):

Evada Dewata ◽

Hadi Jauhari ◽

Siska Aprianti ◽

Eka Nurfa Hijria

Keyword(s):

Local Government ◽

Local Governments ◽

Central Government ◽

Fiscal Decentralization ◽

Capital Expenditure ◽

City Governments ◽

Audit Opinion ◽

Negative Effect ◽

District Government ◽

Positive Effect

This study aims to examine the influence of district and city characteristics (fiscal decentralization ratio, dependency level on the central government, capital expenditure, age, regional status, population) and audit opinion on the performance of local and district government in Indonesia for the period of 2013-2015. Population of this study consists of all local government units of districts and cities in Indonesia for the years of 2013-2015. The purposive sampling method was used resulting in a total of 1,158 samples for three years period observations. The results of this study indicate that the variables of age area, population, and audit opinion have a positive effect on the performance of the studied Districts and Cities. Conversely, the dependency level on the central government has a negative effect on the performance of studied local governments. However, the ratio of fiscal decentralization, the capital expenditure, and the regional status have no effect on the performance of the local governments

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FLYPAPER EFFECT: FENOMENA SERIAL WAKTU DAN LINTAS KABUPATEN KOTA DI JAWA TIMUR 2003-2013

JURNAL AKUNTANSI UNIVERSITAS JEMBER ◽

10.19184/jauj.v12i2.1407 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 12 (2) ◽

pp. 1

Author(s):

Deni Oktavia

Keyword(s):

Local Governments ◽

Central Government ◽

Funding Source ◽

Block Grant ◽

Flypaper Effect ◽

Local Independence ◽

Funding Sources ◽

Asymmetric Behavior ◽

Government Transfers ◽

Positive Effect

The aims of local autonomy is to achieve local independence funding, so the interference of the central government decrease. Local governments have funding source from the own region revenues (PAD), which is used to finance expenditures and development. Regency or municipalities funding sources not only their PAD. Local governments also get help from central government transfers such block grant aid or transfer fund (DAU). In the course of the central government transfers actually become a disincentive for increased regional funding. Regions become more dependent on central government transfers rather than optimize their own revenues (PAD). There are has indications of asymmetric behavior in response to the transfer of central government. Region revenues (PAD) and the transfer fund (DAU) from central government is generally positive effect on the regional expenditure (BD). Results for the time series test indicates that occurred flypaper effect, indicated by DAU more significant influence on regional expenditure of the influence of the PAD. Regency or manucipalities in East Java generally done flypaper effect, BD response was greater from DAU components. Key words: region revenues, transfer fund, regional expenditure

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OPTIMALISASI PERAN PEMDA DALAM MENGATASI KENDALA PELAKSANAAN KONSERVASI KEANEKARAGAMAN HAYATI DI DAERAH (STUDI KASUS PROVINSI BENGKULU)

Jurnal Good Governance ◽

10.32834/gg.v15i2.121 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 15 (2) ◽

Author(s):

Antung Deddy Radiansyah

Keyword(s):

Local Government ◽

Biodiversity Conservation ◽

Local Governments ◽

Central Government ◽

Wild Plants ◽

Regional Government ◽

Conservation Areas ◽

Conservation Area ◽

Conservation Policies

Gaps in biodiversity conservation management within the Conservation Area that are the responsibility of the central government and outside the Conservation Areas or as the Essential Ecosystems Area (EEA) which are the authority of the Regional Government, have caused various spatial conflicts between wildlife /wild plants and land management activities. Several obstacles faced by the Local Government to conduct its authority to manage (EEA), caused the number and area of EEA determined by the Local Government to be still low. At present only 703,000 ha are determined from the 67 million ha indicated by EEA. This study aims to overview biodiversity conservation policies by local governments and company perceptions in implementing conservation policies and formulate strategies for optimizing the role of Local Governments. From the results of this study, there has not been found any legal umbrella for the implementation of Law number 23/ 2014 related to the conservation of important ecosystems in the regions. This regulatory vacuum leaves the local government in a dilemma for continuing various conservation programs. By using a SWOT to the internal strategic environment and external stratetegic environment of the Environment and Forestry Service, Bengkulu Province , as well as using an analysis of company perceptions of the conservation policies regulatary , this study has been formulated a “survival strategy” through collaboration between the Central Government, Local Governments and the Private Sector to optimize the role of Local Government’s to establish EEA in the regions.Keywords: Management gaps, Essential Ecosystems Area (EEA), Conservation Areas, SWOT analysis and perception analysis

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Asymmetrical Attribution of Performance in China

Asian Survey ◽

10.1525/as.2020.60.5.978 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 60 (5) ◽

pp. 978-1003

Author(s):

Jacqueline Chen Chen ◽

Jun Xiang

Keyword(s):

Economic Development ◽

Local Governments ◽

Central Government ◽

Cultural Theory ◽

Political Trust ◽

Mediation Model ◽

Multilevel Mediation ◽

Dual Pathway ◽

Underlying Mechanisms ◽

The Impact

Existing studies of the impact of economic development on political trust in China have two major gaps: they fail to explain how economic development contributes to the hierarchical trust pattern, and they do not pay enough attention to the underlying mechanisms. In light of cultural theory and political control theory, we propose adapting performance theory into a theory of “asymmetrical attribution of performance” to better illuminate the case of China. This adapted theory leads to dual pathway theses: expectation fulfillment and local blaming. Using a multilevel mediation model, we show that expectation fulfillment mainly upholds trust in the central government, whereas local blaming undermines trust in local governments. We also uncover a rural–urban distinction in the dual pathway, revealing that both theses are more salient among rural Chinese.

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Current Status of Traditional Korean Medicine Services in Public Sector: A Study for Integrating Traditional Korean Medicine into Community Care System

Healthcare ◽

10.3390/healthcare9050493 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 9 (5) ◽

pp. 493

Author(s):

Soo-Hyun Sung ◽

Minjung Park ◽

Jihye Kim ◽

Sun-Woo Jeon ◽

Angela Dong-Min Sung ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Local Governments ◽

Community Care ◽

Central Government ◽

The Elderly ◽

Current Status ◽

Traditional Korean Medicine ◽

Korean Medicine ◽

Service Programs ◽

Care Systems ◽

Care System

Korea is currently executing a pilot program for community care of its aging population and aims to implement community care systems on a national scale by 2025. This study examines the traditional Korean medicine (TKM) service to be provided within community care by understanding the current status of TKM services. The Ministry of Health and Welfare (MoHW) sent official letters to 242 local governments (cities, districts, and counties) from October to November 2019 to survey the status of the public TKM services provided in 2018. The items of the survey included basic demographic information as well as information that could reveal how the program was implemented. In 112 local government jurisdictions (response rate 46.3%), a total of 867 TKM service programs were in place. As a result of the survey, it was revealed that they did not have any service manuals or evaluation results. To provide home-care-based TKM service for the elderly as an integrated part of a community care system, it is necessary to develop, distribute, and evaluate a standard service manual including an evaluation index by the central government.

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Public Policy Analysis on Watershed Governance in Indonesia

Sustainability ◽

10.3390/su13126615 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (12) ◽

pp. 6615

Author(s):

Tri Sulistyaningsih ◽

Achmad Nurmandi ◽

Salahudin Salahudin ◽

Ali Roziqin ◽

Muhammad Kamil ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Local Governments ◽

Central Government ◽

Good Governance ◽

Institutional Arrangement ◽

Future Research ◽

Research Approach ◽

Regional Government ◽

Government Regulations ◽

Institutional Control ◽

Watershed Governance

This paper, which is focused on evaluating the policies and institutional control of the Brantas River Basin, East Java, Indonesia, aims to review government regulations on watershed governance in Indonesia. A qualitative approach to content analysis is used to explain and layout government regulations regarding planning, implementation, coordination, monitoring, evaluation, and accountability of the central and local governments in managing the Brantas watershed, East Java, Indonesia. Nvivo 12 Plus software is used to map, analyze, and create data visualization to answer research questions. This study reveals that the management regulations of the Brantas watershed, East Java, Indonesia, are based on a centralized system, which places the central government as an actor who plays an essential role in the formulation, implementation, and accountability of the Brantas watershed management. In contrast, East Java Province’s regional government only plays a role in implementing and evaluating policies. The central government previously formulated the Brantas watershed. This research contributes to strengthening the management and institutional arrangement of the central government and local governments that support the realization of good governance of the Brantas watershed. Future research needs to apply a survey research approach that focuses on evaluating the capacity of the central government and local governments in supporting good management of the Brantas watershed.

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Transfer-based decentralisation, economic growth and spatial inequality: Evidence from China’s 2002–2003 tax sharing reform

Urban Studies ◽

10.1177/0042098019856780 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 57 (4) ◽

pp. 806-826

Author(s):

Fan Fan ◽

Ming Li ◽

Ran Tao ◽

Dali Yang

Keyword(s):

Economic Growth ◽

Local Governments ◽

Central Government ◽

Value Added ◽

Spatial Inequality ◽

Variable Approach ◽

Interregional Inequality ◽

Urban Rural ◽

Per Capita ◽

Tax Sharing

China has adopted a transfer-based fiscal decentralisation scheme since the mid-1990s. In the 1994 tax sharing reform, the central government significantly raised its share of government revenue vis-à-vis local governments by taking most of the newly created value-added tax on manufacturing. One aim for the adoption of the transfer-based fiscal scheme was to channel more funds to less developed regions and rural areas, and to alleviate growing interregional inequality and urban–rural income disparity. In 2002 and 2003 the Chinese central government further grabbed 50% and 60%, respectively, of the income taxes previously assigned only to local governments while providing more fiscal transfers to the country’s poor regions and the countryside. Utilising the 2002–2003 change in China’s central–local tax sharing regime as an exogenous policy shock, we employ a Simulated Instrumental Variable approach to causally evaluate the effects of the policy shock on growth, interregional inequality and urban–rural disparity. We find the lower local tax share dis-incentivised local governments and led to lower growth. Although higher central transfers helped to reduce interregional inequalities in per capita GDP and per capita income, the equalising effects were only present for urban incomes. We argue that transfer-based decentralisation without bottom-up accountability was detrimental to economic growth and had limited impact on income redistribution.

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Rising Central Spending on Public Security and the Dilemma Facing Grassroots Officials in China

Journal of Current Chinese Affairs ◽

10.1177/186810261304200204 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 42 (2) ◽

pp. 79-109 ◽

Cited By ~ 18

Author(s):

Yue Xie

Keyword(s):

Social Order ◽

Local Governments ◽

Central Government ◽

Public Security ◽

Social Stability ◽

Social Instability ◽

Grassroots Level

In response to worsening social instability in China, among grassroots communities in the poorer central and western provinces in particular, the Chinese central government has made budgetary arrangements, since 2003, to increase investment at the grassroots level to improve the capacity of local governments to maintain social order. However, this action by central government has created a dilemma for local cadres: how to perform their duty to maintain social stability while also balancing a heavy fiscal burden caused in part by the receipt of insufficient additional budgetary subsidies from higher government. This paper is an account of and an analysis of how local cadres in China perform their official duties when faced with this dilemma.

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