scholarly journals Impact of the Informal Institutional Forces on the Local Government Elections in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan

2017 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 62-70
Author(s):  
Niaz Ahmad ◽  
Abida Bano ◽  
Ashfaq Rehman
Keyword(s):  
Local Government ◽  
Good Governance ◽  
Local Level ◽  
Local Elections ◽  
Formal Institutions ◽  
Political Awareness ◽  
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa ◽  
Institutional Forces ◽  
Grass Root ◽  
Grass Root Level

Local government is visualised as a tool for promoting political participation, downward accountability, which consequently leads to the establishment of good governance at the grass-root level. In the establishment of the local government system, the main ingredients of good governance, such as participation and downward accountability, reckon almost on the nature of elections. However, societies marked with strong cultural and socially embedded informal institutions, already existed from generations, hinder formal institutions to play its intended role. In Pakistan, some socio-cultural features like gender, ascribed status, and economic background of the individuals influence the entire process of elections adversely. This paper attempts to assess the processes of the local government elections in District Karak, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Pakistan. It aims to highlight the deterministic role of other informal institutional forces that affect the outcome of local elections. It investigates, how the process of local government elections is influenced in Pakistan and how do people decide whom to vote for in these elections. The study argues that policymakers should work on strengthening the formal institutions of elections through measures such as monitoring by media, referendums, auditing, evaluations, education, and political awareness as alternatives to ensure good governance at the local level in Pakistan.

scholarly journals Women’s Political Empowerment through Local Government in the Patriarchal Society of Pakistan

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-8
Author(s):  
Niaz Ahmad ◽  
Abida Bano ◽  
Ashfaq Rehman
Keyword(s):  
Local Government ◽  
Local Level ◽  
The Political ◽  
Gender Quotas ◽  
Community Members ◽  
Eligibility Criteria ◽  
Political Awareness ◽  
Political Empowerment ◽  
Political Status ◽  
Institutional Forces

The democratic local government empowers community members to decide their destiny. However, it bears different meanings for different people in different socio-cultural settings. This study assesses the intended outcome of the local government system, revived by General Pervez Musharraf’s regime in Pakistan since 2001 regarding women’s political empowerment. In the Devolution Plan 2001, the gender quotas of 33% have been reserved for women in all the three tiers of local government at the district level. However, the existing informal institutional forces like socio-cultural and religious practices did not let women to fully participate and achieve the desired political status. Local women’s representatives have not been able to participate meaningfully in the policymaking at the local level. Therefore, this study suggests revising the design of the local government with a focus on eligibility criteria for the candidates. Moreover, to ensure the political empowerment of women, policymakers should focus on other alternatives like women education, political awareness, and monitoring by the civil society and media.

scholarly journals Maiden Partisan Rural Local Government Elections: Bangladesh Experience

2017 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Md. Mashiur Rahman ◽  
Salma Nasrin
Keyword(s):  
Local Government ◽  
Local Governance ◽  
Electoral System ◽  
Daily Newspapers ◽  
Grass Root ◽  
Grass Root Level ◽  
The Government ◽  
First Time ◽  
Election Commission

A paradigm shift in the political system has been taken in Bangladesh on 12 October, 2015 with the final approval by the Cabinet to hold local polls on partisan basis. The long historical practice of non-partisan local polls has been shifted to first ever partisan poll that brought major challenges for the existing confrontational political parties of Bangladesh. Ruling Bangladesh Awami League considered demonstrating its popularity at grass-root level and controlled all political institution through this election while Bangladesh Nationalist Party had opposed these partisan local government elections as a political trick with an ill motive by the government. For the first time in Independent Bangladesh, 9th Union Parishad[1](UP) election hold on partisan basis at six phases across the country from March to June 2016. The articles tried to explore the experiences of this maiden partisan UP polls and what are the immediate consequences on the local governance as well as electoral system through reviewing seceondary materials specially the Daily Newspapers. Unfortunately massive violence, record deaths and uncontested elected Chairman, election fraughts & irregularities, reluctant role of Election Commission, strong dominant of ruling party over electoral system were common phenomenon in this maiden partisan election.[1] Lowest tier of rural local government in Bangladesh.

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.

The Slow Death of a Governing Party: The Erosion of Conservative Local Electoral Support in England 1979–97

2002 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
pp. 271-298 ◽  
Author(s):  
Colin Rallings ◽  
Michael Thrasher ◽  
Ron Johnston
Keyword(s):  
Local Government ◽  
Local Level ◽  
Electoral System ◽  
Conservative Party ◽  
Party Competition ◽  
Local Elections ◽  
Electoral Support ◽  
Number Of Factors ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Apparent Ability

This article first describes the decline in Conservative Party representation in local government over the period 1979–97. It then explores a number of factors to account for the nature and depth of that decline, including: differential abstention; the desertion of heartland voters; tactical voting at local level; and electoral bias. Clearly, the Conservatives' performance at local elections was worse than might have been expected given the party's overall electoral popularity. It appears that Conservative council candidates largely fell victim to the changing pattern of party competition and the apparent ability of rival parties to target seats more effectively. Furthermore, the impact of these factors was compounded by the operation of biases within the electoral system.

Understanding political participation in West Africa: the relationship between good governance and local citizen engagement

2016 ◽  
Vol 83 (1_suppl) ◽  
pp. 136-155 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kelly Ann Krawczyk ◽  
Jennie Sweet-Cushman
Keyword(s):  
Local Government ◽  
Political Participation ◽  
West Africa ◽  
Citizen Participation ◽  
Negative Binomial ◽  
Good Governance ◽  
Local Level ◽  
Local Context ◽  
Negative Binomial Regression Model ◽  
Citizen Engagement

Strengthening citizen participation in West Africa is an increasingly important aspect of democratic development – especially in mitigating setbacks arising from poor governance. This article uses Round 4 Afrobarometer data to explore what stimulates local-level participation by examining determinants against the backdrop of eight West African nations: Benin, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, Ghana, Liberia, Mali, Nigeria, and Senegal. Using a negative binomial regression model, our results are evaluated within the framework of good governance, and show that local context, specifically relative to citizens’ perceptions of and attitudes about the performance of local government, matters when it comes to local political participation. Points for practitioners This study provides public administrators with a framework for understanding what drives local-level, non-electoral citizen participation in West Africa, and helps them understand how to increase local citizen engagement and build a more democratic society through the pursuit of good governance principles. In addition, this study highlights the critical importance of local government performance, and the role of citizens’ attitudes and evaluations, in local civic engagement.

scholarly journals EFEKTIVITAS PROGRAM PEMBERDAYAAN

2018 ◽  
Vol 1 (01) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sugito Suwito
Keyword(s):  
Structural Equation Modeling ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Good Governance ◽  
Equation Modeling ◽  
New Paradigm ◽  
The Poor ◽  
Poor Families ◽  
Grass Root ◽  
Grass Root Level ◽  
Government Ethics

EFEKTIVITAS PROGRAM PEMBERDAYAAN Abstrak Tujuan penelitian ini menganalisis pengaruh variable kepemimpinan, tata pemerintahan dan etika pemerintahan terhadap efektivitas pemberdayaan dan dampaknya pada kesejahteraan keluarga miskin di kota Bekasi. Metode penelitian dilakukan berdasarkan survei terhadap responden keluarga miskin anggota Posdaya beserta para stakeholdernya dengan menggunakan kuesioner terstruktur. Data yang terkumpul kemudian diolah dan dianalisis dengan teknik Structural Equation Modeling (SEM). Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa ketiga variable yang diteliti memiliki pengaruh signifikan pada efektivitas pemberdayaan yang selanjutnya berdampak pada kesejahteraan keluarga miskin. Kata kunci: efektifitas, tata pemerintahan yang baik, paradigma baru, SEM The Effectiveness of Empowerment Program Abstract The research objectiveis to test the influence of the variables on leadership, good governance and government ethics on empowerment‘s effectiveness and its effect on the welfare of the poor in Bekasi. The result has been processed and analyzed based on Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) technique. It shows that all of the three exogeneus variables are significantly influencing the process and the empowerment‘seffectiveness, in turn, will lead to the prosperity of the poor families at grass root level. Keywords: effectiveness, good governance, new paradigm, SEM

scholarly journals An Analysis of Poverty at the Local Level

2005 ◽  
Vol 44 (4II) ◽  
pp. 1093-1109 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rashida Haq
Keyword(s):  
Local Government ◽  
Social Relations ◽  
Local Governance ◽  
Local Level ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Psychological Needs ◽  
Participatory Development ◽  
Perceived Needs ◽  
The Poor ◽  
Grass Root

Poverty is a situation of deprivation, failure to fulfill the minimum basic physical and psychological needs of an individual due to unavailability of sufficient economic resources at its disposal. It is associated to insufficient outcomes with respect to nutrition, health and education, to deficient social relations, to insecurity and to low self-esteem and powerlessness. So poverty can be analysed from monetary and non-monetary indicators of well-being. In Pakistan Poverty have manifold expressions, many dimensions and indeed, many root causes. Given such multidimensionality, it is not difficult to see why poverty cannot be reduced or summarily expressed, in terms of a single quantitative or qualitative indicator alone. Similarly, for alleviating poverty, all routes matter, recognising the heterogeneity of the voices and the perspectives of the poor expressed in economic and non-economic terms. Such a multidimensional approach, moreover, brings into forefront the importance of recognising the causal factors of poverty at the local level and addressing area-specific problems based on perceived needs and demands of the poor. An essential pre-requisite of institutionalising the approach, however, is the existence of decentralised and participatory structure of local governance that can introduce participatory development in which citizen at the grass-root are involved in planning, formulating and implementation of programs for themselves. In Pakistan, a local government system has been installed in the form of “Devolution Plan 2000” after the promulgation of Local Government Ordinance 2001 by all Provinces.....................

scholarly journals Assessment of Selected Barangays in Makati City Towards Improved Barangay Governance

2019 ◽  
pp. 141
Author(s):  
Rosalyn R. Flores
Keyword(s):  
International Development ◽  
Financial Management ◽  
Social Transformation ◽  
Social Protection ◽  
Good Governance ◽  
Local Governance ◽  
Developed Countries ◽  
Community Services ◽  
Grass Root ◽  
Grass Root Level

In international development as noted at the Wikipedia, good governance is a subjective term that describes how public institutions conduct public affairs and manage public resources in the preferred way. Governance is the process of decision – making and the process by which decisions are implemented or not. The term governance can apply to corporate, international, national, local governance or to the interactions between other sectors in the society. (1)  "What is Good Governance". UNESCAP, 2009. Accessed July 10, 2009. This paper explores the concept of good governance from different perspective that then emerges as a model to compare ineffective economies or political bodies with viable economies and political bodies. The concept centers on the responsibility of governments and governing bodies to meet  the needs of the masses as opposed to select groups in    society. Because countries often described as most successful are liberal democratic states concentrated in Europe and the Americas( 2) Khan, Mushtaq Husain (2004). State formation in Palestine: viability and governance during a social transformation: Volume 2 of Political economy of the Middle East and North Africa. Routledge. ISBN 978-0-415-33802-8. found at Google Books , good governance standards often measure other state institutions against these states. Aid organizations and the authorities of developed countries often will focus the meaning of “good governance “ to a set of requirements that conform to the organization agenda , making good governance  imply many different things in many different contexts. (3) Poluha, Eva; Rosendahl, Mona (2002). Contesting 'good' governance:crosscultural perspectives on representation, accountability and public space. Routledge. ISBN 978-0-7007-1494-0.Thus this paper would adopt the concept of good governance in the Philippine context particularly at the grass root level- the barangay which is considered as the smallest political and yet influential political body in the society. This paper presents the focal area of good governance in terms of delivering public services to the people from different sectors of the society such as Education and Healthcare, Social Protection, Financial Management , Peace and Security, Business Friendliness, Tourism, Environmental Management and Disaster Preparedness.(4) DILG Memorandum Circular No. 2018-194 dated November 6, 2018.   There will be some indicators and data requirements in each area of services that would suggest, prove and validate that good governance at the grass root level are met. Through these strategies, the abilities of public sector institutions particularly the barangays in the City of Makati as well as the entire country to deliver key services more effectively and efficiently will be strengthened an these would help a range of public private, civil society partners and stakeholders expand access to and improve the quality of community services.

scholarly journals From trickle down to inclusiveness :

2021 ◽  
Vol 29 (2) ◽  
pp. 1-14
Author(s):  
Shuvra Chowdhury
Keyword(s):  
Resource Constraints ◽  
Dominant Role ◽  
Local Level ◽  
Policy Formulation ◽  
Case Study Methodology ◽  
Societal Actors ◽  
Grass Root ◽  
Grass Root Level ◽  
Participatory Policy ◽  
Trickle Down

Inclusiveness of the excluded is a new phenomenon in the study of governance. This is suggested in the researches that macroeconomic aggregates do not, as had been assumed, have a ‘trickle-down effect. The actors including state and societal that either play a dominant role or do not play any role at all in the policy process become evident in the systematic study of the policy formulation process. In Bangladesh, the participatory policy formulation process is introduced by the Local Government (Union Parishad) Act, 2009. This study used a qualitative case-study methodology, backed by secondary documentary analysis, and assessed the process of formulation of the policy at the participatory planning and budgeting processes at the local level in six Union Parishads(UP), the lowest administrative tier of Bangladesh. Based on empirical data this paper found that citizens were able to identify their priority needs of life if they were offered the opportunity.The nexus between donors and government works as an iron triangle and as an outcome, the citizens become unwilling to participate in those processes when they are being perceived that their needs are being neglected due to resource constraints. The absence of societal actors to play a dominant role to act as a pressure group in the policy formulation process, resource constraints, and patron-client relationship are some factors that exclude the demands of the grass-root level citizens. It is suggested that governments need to explicitly consider the human development objectives of local people when formulating macroeconomic policy.

scholarly journals Why Political Parties don’t and do Matter in Local Government Elections in Indonesia: A Manado Case

2021 ◽  
Vol 29 (77) ◽  
Author(s):  
Stefanus Sampe
Keyword(s):  
Local Government ◽  
Political Parties ◽  
Qualitative Data ◽  
Local Level ◽  
Computer Application ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Local Elections ◽  
Quantitative Methodology ◽  
Structured Interviews

ABSTRACT Introduction: Despite decentralization devolving increasing decision-making powers to subnational governments across Asia, the subject of local-level elections has not received anywhere near the academic attention afforded to national elections. This article aims to make a contribution to filling this gap in the literature on the dynamics of local election by examining the political parties’ activities in the 2010 local executive election in Indonesia through the detailed case study of Manado City. Materials and Methods: This article used a combination of quantitative and qualitative methodologies for a case study of the Manado local government election in 2010. These methods include direct observation which had been done during the election in 2010, review of relevant media articles and books, collection of statistics from relevant government organizations and interviews. The latter comprised the most important and novel aspect of the research. The interviews were of two types: First, there was a quantitative survey of 100 selected voter respondents using questionnaire with 22 closed-ended questions. Second, there were semi-structured interviews with the local leaders of political parties, the heads of campaign teams, the candidates, the members of the local electoral organization, the representatives of NGOs, mass media personnel and the survey organisations who monitored the election. The quantitative data was explored with the aid of a computer application program (SPSS) while the qualitative data was analysed through a thematic approach. Although the qualitative data collection and analysis was dominant, the quantitative methodology was still important in this article. Results: This article found a paradoxical situation in that political parties did not and did matter. They did not matter case was supported by evidence showing that voters chose candidates based on their personalities, behaviours and programs rather than on party loyalty. On the contrary, they did matter case derived from the superior organisational abilities of parties in running successful election campaigns and in aligning themselves with the candidates most likely to win. Discussion: This article had made a valuable addition to explaining the activities of political parties at local level in the context of decentralization. The implication of this research is that although voters did not choose political parties, the latter were nonetheless highly significant in determining the outcome of the local government election in Manado City. So, it is useful for future research to consider more closely the role of parties in local elections.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document