Between the State and the Market: Assessing Impacts of Local Government Reforms in Western Europe

2010 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-21 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sabine Kuhlmann
Keyword(s):  
Local Government ◽  
Western Europe ◽  
Central Government ◽  
Local Level ◽  
The State ◽  
Negative Consequences ◽  
Local Authorities ◽  
Non Profit ◽  
Performance Improvements ◽  
Government Reforms

This article compares local government reforms in three European countries: France, the United Kingdom (England), and Germany. In the analysis, the author distinguishes between two different types of reform. Firstly, the vertical dimension of the reform refers to the decentralisation of public tasks from the state/central government to local authorities. Secondly, in an illustration of the horizontal dimension, the readjustment of competencies between local authorities and market or non-profit actors is investigated by focusing on the development of privatisation, corporatisation, and contracting out. The paper pursues the following questions: What effects did the decentralisation and privatisation processes cause in the three countries, and did they contribute to performance improvements at the local level? The author reveals that the anticipated positive outcomes of the reforms have proven to be only partially accurate, and that in many cases unexpected and even rather negative consequences have resulted instead.

Spatial and Institutional Analysis of the Voivodships Expenditure on Culture in the Years 2003 – 2015

e-Finanse ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 15 (3) ◽  
pp. 67-75
Author(s):  
Adam Mateusz Suchecki
Keyword(s):  
Local Government ◽  
Public Administration ◽  
Local Governments ◽  
Local Level ◽  
Institutional Analysis ◽  
The State ◽  
Cultural Institutions ◽  
Location Quotient ◽  
Local Authorities ◽  
National Heritage

AbstractFollowing the completion of the process of decentralisation of public administration in Poland in 2003, a number of tasks implemented previously by the state authorities were transferred to the local level. One of the most significant changes to the financing and management methods of the local authorities was the transfer of tasks related to culture and national heritage to the set of tasks implemented by local governments. As a result of the decentralisation process, the local government units in Poland were given significant autonomy in determining the purposes of their budgetary expenditures on culture. At the same time, they were obliged to cover these expenses from their own revenues.This paper focuses on the analysis of expenditures on culture covered by the voivodship budgets, taking into consideration the structure of cultural institutions by their types, between 2003-2015. The location quotient (LQ) was applied to two selected years (2006 and 2015) to illustrate the diversity of expenditures on culture in individual voivodships.

Réflexions sur l'administration intermédiaire

Res Publica ◽  
1986 ◽  
Vol 28 (1) ◽  
pp. 159-167
Author(s):  
Stefan Schepers
Keyword(s):  
At Risk ◽  
Public Sector ◽  
Local Government ◽  
Central Government ◽  
The State ◽  
Local Authorities ◽  
The Public

Widespread consideration of the role of the public sector was bound to develop in a society confronted by a serious economic crisis.The reforms of local government carried out in the 60s and 70s have not led to the strengthening of local authorities and their means, as claimed deceptively in politica! speeches, hut towards more influence by central government on these authorities and ultimately to its increased power over the administration of society.There is not doubt that the state in its diligence to run almost everything is not only failing in its task of governing hut is also putting society at risk. The administrations which come under the intermediary authorities could form a useful counterforce against the ever present invasion of the state.For reason of its reduced capabilities local government shows the first virtue of not being able to claim hegemony, but also of being an instrument close to the citizen and his control. Furthermore it could manage many tasks in the best way.

scholarly journals The Joy of Joining Up: Modes of Integrating the Local Government Modernisation Agenda

10.1068/c0135 ◽  
2003 ◽  
Vol 21 (2) ◽  
pp. 159-179 ◽  
Author(s):  
Richard Cowell ◽  
Steve Martin
Keyword(s):  
Local Government ◽  
Service Delivery ◽  
Central Government ◽  
Local Level ◽  
National Level ◽  
Theory And Practice ◽  
Service Improvement ◽  
The United Kingdom ◽  
And Performance ◽  
Government Reforms

Since 1997, local government in the United Kingdom has found itself at the sharp end of an ambitious programme of potentially far-reaching reforms known collectively as the ‘local government modernisation agenda’ (LGMA). These initiatives are intended to promote ‘joined-up government’ and holistic service delivery—two of the hallmarks of New Labour's approach to public service improvement. To date there has been very little analysis of the ways in which local authorities are approaching this task at a corporate level. The authors examine the theory and practice of joining up policymaking and service delivery in local government. They draw upon an analysis of the perspectives of key actors involved in the formulation and implementation of current local government reforms at the national level and the experiences of a sample of authorities that have been among the most active in seeking to integrate the various elements of the LGMA at local level. The evidence suggests that the superficially attractive logic of more integrated policymaking and service provision, which runs so strongly through current reforms, belies the multidimensional nature of joined-up working. The presentation of the LGMA as a coherent package of reforms therefore disguises the degree to which different forms of joining up may conflict. In particular, the push for closer vertical integration between local and central government, with ever-tighter control being exerted from the centre over priorities and performance, is seen as constraining progress towards more effective horizontal joined-up working at a local level.

PERIMBANGAN KEUANGAN ANTARA PEMERINTAH PUSAT DENGAN PEMERINTAH DAERAH DALAM PENGELOLAAN KEUANGAN DAERAH

2016 ◽  
Vol 42 (1) ◽  
pp. 1
Author(s):  
Edward Hutagalung
Keyword(s):  
Local Government ◽  
Central Government ◽  
Local Authorities ◽  
Fiscal Capacity ◽  
Regional Autonomy ◽  
The Public ◽  
Delegation Of Authority ◽  
Regional Authority ◽  
Local Sources ◽  
Tax Sharing

The fi nancial relationship between central and local government can be defi ned as a system that regulates how some funds were divided among various levels of government as well as how to fi ndsources of local empowerment to support the activities of the public sector.Fiscal decentralization is the delegation of authority granted by the central government to theregions to make policy in the area of   fi nancial management.One of the main pillars of regional autonomy is a regional authority to independently manage thefi nancial area. State of Indonesia as a unitary state of Indonesia adheres to a combination of elementsof recognition for local authorities to independently manage fi nances combined with the element oftransferring fi scal authority and supervision of the fi scal policy area.General Allocation Fund an area allocated on the basis of the fi scal gap and basic allocation whilethe fi scal gap is reduced by the fi scal needs of local fi scal capacity. Fiscal capacity of local sources offunding that comes from the area of   regional revenue and Tax Sharing Funds outside the ReforestationFund.The results showed that the strengthening of local fi scal capacity is in line with regional autonomy.

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

scholarly journals Soviets of Workers', Peasants', and Soldiers' Deputies in memorandum of E. G. Gerasimov (Gerasin) of June 14, 1918

2021 ◽  
pp. 53-59
Author(s):  
Tatiana Mikhailovna Akimova
Keyword(s):  
Civil War ◽  
Local Government ◽  
Audit Committee ◽  
Central Government ◽  
Local Level ◽  
Local Administration ◽  
Central Administration ◽  
Democratic Centralism ◽  
Internal Affairs ◽  
Socialist Movement

This article discusses the a memorandum of the member of the Control and Audit Committee under the People's Commissariat of Internal Affairs – Efim Grigorievich Gerasimov (Gerasin). Having supported the socialist movement and subsequently the February and October Revolutions of 1917 since his youth years, the author of the document has analyzed the system of Soviets of Workers', Soldiers 'and Peasants' Deputies that established on the local level in late 1917 – early 1918 and gradually replaced the county self-government. The value of the source lies in the fact that the author of self-censorship revealed the flaws of the new local government, having expressed the concern that they may lead to a civil war in the country. E. G. Gerasimov (Gerasin) dedicated particular attention to the problem of dialogue between the Soviet deputies and central government, and proposed to institute the post of special emergency mediators for controlling the execution of all provisions and “encourage” the representatives of the Soviets. The conclusion is made that the elimination of the existing flaws required the so-called “democratic centralism” in Russia, which suggested the combination of electivity of local administration along with the governing and supervisory power of the central administration. In this regard, the content of the document allows taking a look at the Soviets of Workers', Peasants', and Soldiers’ Deputies through the prism of a person who worked in that system, without idealization or “touchup”.

Reconfiguring Local Authority Through Land Reform

2021 ◽  
pp. 80-103
Author(s):  
Alice Beban
Keyword(s):  
Land Reform ◽  
Central Government ◽  
Local Level ◽  
Local State ◽  
Local Authorities ◽  
Land Distribution ◽  
Multiple Strategies ◽  
Land Titling ◽  
Land Survey ◽  
Local Officials

This chapter shows how the land titling reform worked to wrest power away from local-level officials into the hands of the central government. It talks about local officials that managed to amass land by clearing forest in expectation of the land reform, while in other areas local people mobilized to prevent the elite's capture of the reform and produce new relationships with local officials. It also examines the relationships between local state officials and their constituencies during the Order 01 land reform. The chapter reviews the leopard skin land reform, which can be seen as the prime minister's attempt to wrest control over land distribution from local authorities in upland areas. It analyzes the rural people's narratives that suggest multiple strategies local authorities and other elites used to grab land, such as clearing forestland in advance of the land survey.

Blue, White, and Red Heat

Boom Cities ◽  
2019 ◽  
pp. 35-63
Author(s):  
Otto Saumarez Smith
Keyword(s):  
Local Government ◽  
Central Government ◽  
Central Area ◽  
Public Private Partnerships ◽  
Initial Reaction ◽  
Local Authorities ◽  
Set Up ◽  
Area Redevelopment ◽  
Planning Group ◽  
City Centres

This chapter looks at central government’s role in directing the way in which local authorities enacted central-area redevelopment schemes. It shows how modernist ideas were sustained by a broadly consensual cross-party political culture in central government. It shows how the Joint Urban Planning Group, set up within the Ministry of Housing and Local Government, provided guidance to local authorities in how to form public–private partnerships to redevelop their city centres. The last section discusses the fate of these ideas during Labour’s first term after the 1964 election, and argues for an economic explanation of the initial reaction against modernist approaches to the built environment.

scholarly journals Analyzing Actors’ Engagement in Sustainable Energy Planning at the Local Level in Ghana: An Empirical Study

Energies ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (8) ◽  
pp. 2028
Author(s):  
Hassan Qudrat-Ullah ◽  
Mark McCarthy Akrofi ◽  
Aymen Kayal
Keyword(s):  
Local Government ◽  
Central Government ◽  
Focal Point ◽  
Sustainable Energy ◽  
Local Level ◽  
Energy Development ◽  
Energy Planning ◽  
Government Agencies ◽  
Non Governmental Organizations ◽  
Local Actors

Actors play a crucial role in sustainable energy development yet interaction in different contexts is an area that has not received much scholarly attention. Sustainable energy transitions theories such as the Multi-Level Perspective, for instance, have been criticized for not describing precisely the nature of the interactions between actors and institutions within socio-technical systems. The goal of this study was to empirically examine local actors’ engagement and its impact on the planning and implementation of sustainable energy initiatives in the villages and remote areas in Ghana. Using the mixed methodology approach, interviews were performed, focus discussion groups were held, and archival data were collected, and social network modeling and case study analysis was performed. Our findings showed that sustainable energy development at the local level depends on an interplay between local government agencies, Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs), central government agencies, local communities, and private sector organizations. Despite being the focal point at the local level, local government involvement in sustainable energy planning is limited. In the case of Ghana, sustainable energy planning remains centralized and is manifested in a low level of awareness of local actors on national energy plans. The implication for decision makers is that energy planning functions should be devolved to the local government. Such devolution is expected to ensure the integration of sustainable energies into local government plans for the well-coordinated implementation and effective monitoring of sustainable energy projects.

scholarly journals The state and post-industrial urban regeneration: the reinvention of south Cardiff

Urban History ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 45 (3) ◽  
pp. 504-523 ◽  
Author(s):  
LEON GOOBERMAN
Keyword(s):  
Central Government ◽  
Urban Regeneration ◽  
The State ◽  
Local Authorities ◽  
Small Areas ◽  
Economic Stagnation ◽  
Post Industrial ◽  
Cardiff Bay

ABSTRACT:South Cardiff was once dependent on the export of coal and the production of steel, but these activities had faded by the 1970s, creating economic stagnation and physical dereliction. However, the area was rechristened ‘Cardiff Bay’ in the mid-1980s and was the focus of an ambitious and contested state-funded regeneration. This article argues that regeneration was broadly successful, although not without failures, and that government remained willing to intervene heavily in some small areas. The main contribution is to identify and analyse how local authorities retained influence over regeneration, in contrast to approaches taken elsewhere by central government.

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