Local Autonomy versus Central Control during Transition: Explaining Local Policy Outputs in Post-Soviet Ukraine

10.1068/c25m ◽  
2002 ◽  
Vol 20 (6) ◽  
pp. 889-909 ◽  
Author(s):  
Trevor L Brown
Keyword(s):  
Local Governments ◽  
Central Government ◽  
Small Enterprise ◽  
Small Enterprises ◽  
Local Elections ◽  
Central Control ◽  
Control Mechanisms ◽  
Local Autonomy ◽  
Local Policy ◽  
Government Authority

Many post-Soviet central governments have assigned numerous policy responsibilities to local governments, but have simultaneously constrained local autonomy in an effort to ensure that local governments pursue central objectives. In this paper, I examine the interplay between local autonomy and central control in one post-Soviet central government—Ukraine—by examining the case of small-enterprise privatization. Shortly after Ukraine's independence, the central government transferred ownership of state-run small enterprises to local governments, but required that local governments meet annual privatization targets set by a central agency. Some local governments have met the annual targets, while others have lagged behind. The results of an empirical analysis of local privatization levels indicate that central control mechanisms currently have limited influence over local decisionmaking. The results demonstrate that, instead, local elections have increased the influence of local groups whose interests do not always coincide with those of the central government. In response, the central government has instituted several changes to the intergovernmental finance system that are likely to increase central government authority and continue to move Ukraine towards a system in which local governments carry a heavy service-delivery load with limited autonomy.

scholarly journals An Empirical Study for the Establishment of Desirable Relation Between the Local Council and the Local Executive

1994 ◽  
Vol 9 (0) ◽  
pp. 171-186
Author(s):  
Chi-Woon Kim
Keyword(s):  
Local Government ◽  
Public Service ◽  
Local Governments ◽  
High Speed ◽  
Central Government ◽  
Local Elections ◽  
Local Autonomy ◽  
New Era ◽  
Local Council ◽  
Initial Stage

The re-introduction of legislative bodies at two levels of local government in April and July 1991 through the local elections opened the new era of local autonomy. Local autonomy means the management of local affairs by local government, not the central authority, using local organs. Theoretically, there are several essential advantages of local autonomy : first, it will increase the extent of citizens' participation in local affairs ; second, it will produce effective public service because local governments are more responsive to local demands and more accountable to local inhabitants ; and third, it will function as a means of checking and balancing the central government. In spite of much negative aspects of the initial stage of the two years' experience on local autonomy, our local autonomy system is now being settled in high speed, especially with the launching of Kim Young-sam Administration into the sea of democracy.

scholarly journals National-Local Networks and Immigration Governance

2019 ◽  
Vol 19 (3) ◽  
pp. 345-376
Author(s):  
Jill L. Tao
Keyword(s):  
South Korea ◽  
Immigration Policy ◽  
Local Governments ◽  
Central Government ◽  
Local Level ◽  
Local Economy ◽  
Local Autonomy ◽  
Local Networks ◽  
Local Officials ◽  
The Impact

The ability to regulate the flow of goods, capital and people across borders is one of the defining characteristics of nation-state political power. But there is not always agreement between the central government and local officials as to the desirability of immigration, where local governments may desire greater, or fewer, numbers of immigrants, depending on the local economy and labor needs. In South Korea, a unitary form of government offers an opportunity to examine the policy distance between the national government’s stance on immigration based on the politics of the ruling party, and the attitudes of local officials who work for metropolitan-level governments (those with a population of one million or more). I look at the impact of local economic market needs on local attitudes towards national immigration policy through the lens of intergovernmental relations and Lipsky’s concept of bureaucratic discretion. Comparing two cases drawn from local governments in South Korea with dissimilar economic bases but similar levels of local autonomy, I find that economic needs at the local level are addressed by local approaches to immigration policy. Contrary to expectations, the cases illustrate the relative importance of fiscal autonomy and a new understanding for political autonomy. These cases illustrate the need for caution when applying political and institutional theory within new contexts and offer new variables for future investigations of local autonomy.

Policy Shaped under Pressure: Internationalization, Decentralization, and Policy Adoption of Local Governments

2019 ◽  
Vol 17 (2) ◽  
pp. 343-368
Author(s):  
Nara Park ◽  
Young Ho Eom
Keyword(s):  
Local Governments ◽  
Event History Analysis ◽  
Central Government ◽  
Government Intervention ◽  
Local Governance ◽  
Event History ◽  
Policy Adoption ◽  
Local Autonomy ◽  
History Analysis ◽  
Multiple Pressures

What leads local governments to adopt a particular policy? This article examines the diffusion of internationalization ordinances enacted by Korean local governments from 1989 to 2016. Since decentralization in 1995, Korean local governments have become autonomous actors that can introduce policies of their own. Employing event history analysis, this study reveals that, in adopting internationalization ordinances, Korean local governments face multiple pressures, including central government intervention, the behavior of other local governments, and their own capacity and policy requirements. Policymaking that is directed by the central government, however, is characterized by weaker effects and a shorter lifespan. Local autonomy is key to successful local governance in a decentralized regime.

Policy-Making in Central-Local Government Relations: Balancing Local Autonomy, Macroeconomic Control, and Sectoral Policy Goals

1999 ◽  
Vol 19 (3) ◽  
pp. 237-264 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jens Blom-Hansen
Keyword(s):  
Local Government ◽  
Central Government ◽  
Local Autonomy ◽  
Local Policy ◽  
Government Control ◽  
Government Relations ◽  
Policy Goals ◽  
Macroeconomic Control ◽  
Intergovernmental Policy ◽  
Sectoral Policy

This paper seeks to explain patterns of central government control and local government discretion across nations as well as across policy areas. The argument is that central-local policy is the result of the interaction of three types of actors: ‘Expenditure advocates’, ‘expenditure guardians’, and ‘topocrats’. The argument is based on two assumptions. First, the actors are assumed to pursue self-interests – respectively, sectoral policy goals, macroeconomic control, and local autonomy. Second, the actors' abilities to pursue their self-interests are assumed to be constrained and facilitated by the structure of intergovernmental policy networks. The theoretical propositions are put to a first test in a comparative analysis of three policy areas (economic policy, health policy, and child care policy) in the three Scandinavian countries of Sweden, Norway and Denmark.

Does local autonomy facilitate local government reform initiatives? Evidence from Switzerland

2018 ◽  
Vol 31 (4) ◽  
pp. 426-447 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicolas Keuffer
Keyword(s):  
Local Government ◽  
Local Governments ◽  
Secondary Data ◽  
Theory And Practice ◽  
Comparative Approach ◽  
Local Autonomy ◽  
Local Policy ◽  
Reform Initiatives ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Structural Problems

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate to what extent the initiatives of local governments to launch modernisation processes are facilitated by local autonomy, which is increasingly important in both the theory and practice of public policy and management. Design/methodology/approach Local government reforms are distinguished according to the institutional structure at which they are directed and local autonomy is assessed as a multidimensional concept. Drawing on a multilevel analysis of the Swiss case, this paper combines data stemming from a survey conducted at the local tier with secondary data from the regional tier. Findings The main empirical findings are threefold. First, when local governments undertake managerial or political reform initiatives, their autonomy with respect to higher levels of government matters. Second, it is not local autonomy but rather the perception of structural problems that is the force driving territorial reforms. Third, it is not the autonomy enjoyed by local governments vis-à-vis local factors, but rather the pressures stemming from that context that may lead to reforms. Originality/value By adopting a comparative approach to local autonomy, this paper shows that local governments which have sufficient latitude for local policy making are likely to take initiatives to improve service delivery in accordance with local preferences.

Decentralisation: Comparative Experience in Commonwealth Africa

1994 ◽  
Vol 32 (4) ◽  
pp. 555-580 ◽  
Author(s):  
William Tordoff
Keyword(s):  
Central Government ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Central Control ◽  
Local Autonomy ◽  
Administrative Authority ◽  
Local Participation ◽  
Political Pluralism ◽  
Multiple Functions ◽  
Sub Saharan

Until the late 1980s, decentralisation experiments in sub-Saharan Africa tended in the majority of states to reinforce central control rather than enhance local autonomy. However, recent moves towards political pluralism have brought a switch in emphasis to more meaningful types of local participation. These have taken the form of political decentralisation, understood in the sense used by Philip Mawhood to denote the devolution of powers to representative local councils, each with its separate legal existence and its own budget, and with the authority to allocate resources and to carry out multiple functions. However, a number of African regimés also intend to transfer power from the centre to officials of the central government in the field. They therefore attach a broader meaning to the concept of decentralisation, using it to cover both political devolution and the deconcentration of administrative authority. The two processes are, in fact, often complementary rather than separate.

Evaluating 10 Years' Experiences of Decentralization: The Emphasis of Intergovernmental Relations and Decision-Making Structure

2002 ◽  
Vol 16 (2) ◽  
pp. 11-22
Author(s):  
Tobin Im
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Local Governments ◽  
Central Government ◽  
Intergovernmental Relations ◽  
Point Of View ◽  
Actual State ◽  
Local Elections ◽  
Local Council ◽  
Iron Triangle ◽  
Decentralization Reform

The purpose of this paper is to examine the evolution of the intergovernmental relations in Korea since the decentralization reforms begun in 1991. This study evaluates the Korean experience of 10 years of decentralization has significantly changed the decision-making structure in the country. Even though the apparent framework of tiers and local governments are the same as those before decentralization reform, the real number of decision-making units has increased and a new decision making structure has emerged since the introduction of local elections. The creation of local council as well as the elections of heads of local government brought about the loss of the central government’s controlling power over local governments. However many people are not satisfied with the actual state of decentralization. Constrains and limits that most local governments face support this thesis. In this point of view, the experience of the last ten years can be summarized as ‘controlled decentralization’. However, the central government is not totally responsible for this dissatisfaction. Citizens’ low participation and local governments’ incapacity and inefficiency are also responsible. These resulted in ‘the New Iron Triangle’ Model of decision making.

scholarly journals PILKADA SERENTAK DAN HUKUM POLITIK: KONTROVERSI KEBIJAKAN PEMERINTAH PUSAT TERKAIT PUTUSAN HUKUM PILKADA KABUPATEN, SIMALUNGUN SUMATERA UTARA TAHUN 2015

2017 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 82
Author(s):  
Ian Pasaribu
Keyword(s):  
Local Governments ◽  
Central Government ◽  
Descriptive Analysis ◽  
Local Elections ◽  
Qualitative Descriptive ◽  
The Government ◽  
Politics And Law ◽  
Associated Pair ◽  
Electoral Law ◽  
North Sumatra

This study examines, analyzes dna discusses Simultaneous elections Politics and Law: controversy Central Government Policies Related Legal Decisions Election District, North Sumatra Simalungun Where the Year 2015. On December 9, 2015 ago in elections Simalungun which is one of five areas was postponed due Regent Amran deputy candidate Sinaga experienced legal permaslahan. This study uses the theory of Elections, the concept of democracy and the electoral law. This study used qualitative methods with qualitative descriptive analysis techniques. The results of this study are Chronologically elections Simalungun, Inconsistency Regulations, Budget Swelling elections, Process Inaugural JR Saragih. Where the conclusions of this research local elections December 9, 2015 simultaneously experiencing the same problem as well as a substantial permasalahn. Registration problems associated pair of candidates is the responsibility of political parties to avoid any single candidate. On the issue of the availability of budget, the government and local governments need to give a strong political will to urgently solve the problem.

Central–Local Relations in an Era of Fiscal Decline: The Paradox of Fiscal Decentralization in Post-Mao China

1991 ◽  
Vol 128 ◽  
pp. 691-715 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christine P. W. Wong
Keyword(s):  
Economic Reform ◽  
Local Governments ◽  
Fiscal Decentralization ◽  
Revenue Sharing ◽  
Chinese Economy ◽  
Central Control ◽  
Local Autonomy ◽  
Rapid Changes ◽  
Fiscal System ◽  
Proper Balance

Finding the proper balance between central control and local autonomy is a perennial problem in the Chinese economy, and the Chinese fiscal system has undergone numerous changes in central-provincial revenue-sharing arrangements since the 1950s. In the post-Mao period, fiscal decentralization began in 1980 under the slogan of “cooking in separate kitchens” (fenzao chifan), and a series of reforms was implemented to put local governments increasingly on a self-financing basis. However, this attempt to revamp the financial interaction between the central and provincial governments has been made immensely more complicated by rapid changes in the fiscal system and the shifting composition of revenues and expenditures brought by economic reform.

scholarly journals POLITIK HUKUM PENGALIHAN IZIN PERTAMBANGAN PADA PEMERINTAH PUSAT TERHADAP KEWENANGAN PEMERINTAH DAERAH

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Rika Putri Wulandari ◽  
Muhammad Helmi Fahrozi
Keyword(s):  
Economic Growth ◽  
Local Government ◽  
Local Governments ◽  
Central Government ◽  
Mining Activities ◽  
Conceptual Approach ◽  
Local Government Authority ◽  
Mining Law ◽  
Government Authority

AbstractLaw Number 3 of 2020 is a new chapter in the development of mining law politics in Indonesia. The latest Minerba Law brings a number of major changes, one of which is the regulation of the authority to issue mining permits which has been transferred entirely to the central government. These changes caused controversy because the were considered contrary to constitutional values and the spirit of reform by eliminating the role of local governments in mineral and coal mining activities. The purpose of this study is to determine the legal politics of transferring mining permits to the central government and its implications for local government authority. This research is quantitative study using a normative juridical method through a statue approach and conceptual approach. This research finds that the legal politics of transferring mining permits to the central government is aimed at solving mining permit problems that facilitate investment activities so as to increase the country’s economic growth. However, the implications of this transfer of authority make regional governments no longer have attributive authority to issue mining permits. The current mining law should move to create synergy between governments, not by placing the central government and local governments on different paths for the sustainability of future development.Keywords : Politics of law; Mining Permit; Local Government Authority.                     AbstrakUU Nomor 3 Tahun 2020 merupakan babak baru dalam perkembangan politik hukum pertambangan di Indonesia. UU Minerba terbaru membawa sejumlah perubahan besar salah satunya mengenai pengaturan kewenangan penerbitan izin pertambangan yang dialihkan seluruhnya kepada pemerintah pusat. Perubahan tersebut menimbulkan kontroversi karena dianggap bertentangan dengan nilai konstitusi dan semangat reformasi dengan menihilkan peran pemerintah daerah dalam kegiatan pertambangan minerba. Tujuan penelitian ini adalah untuk mengetahui politik hukum pengalihan izin pertambangan kepada pemerintah pusat dan implikasinya terhadap kewenangan pemerintah daerah. Penelitian ini merupakan penelitian kuantitatif dengan metode yuridis normatif melalui pendekatan undang-undang dan pendekatan konseptual. Penelitian ini menemukan bahwa politik hukum pengalihan izin pertambangan kepada pemerintah pusat ditujukan untuk mengurai permasalahan izin pertambangan yang memudahkan kegiatan investasi sehingga dapat meningkatkan pertumbuhan ekonomi negara. Namun, implikasi yang ditimbulkan akibat pengalihan kewenangan tersebut membuat pemerintah daerah tidak lagi memiliki kewenangan atributif dalam melakukan penerbitan izin pertambangan. Seharusnya hukum pertambangan yang ada saat ini bergerak untuk menciptakan sinergisitas antar pemerintahan bukan dengan menempatkan pemerintah pusat dan pemerintah daerah pada jalan yang berbeda demi keberlangsungan pembangunan di masa depan.Kata kunci : Politik Hukum, Izin Pertambangan; Kewenangan Pemerintah Daerah.

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