[PDF] Politics Of Decentralization eBook

Author : Carol J. Pierce Colfer
Publisher : Earthscan
Page : 331 pages
File Size : 25,77 MB
Release : 2012
Category : Technology & Engineering
ISBN : 1849773211

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Decentralization is sweeping the world and having dramatic and far-reaching impacts on resource management and livelihoods, particularly in forestry. This book is the most up-to-date examination of the themes, experiences and lessons learned from decentralization worldwide. Drawing on research and support from all of the major international forestry and conservation organizations, the book provides a balanced account that covers the impact of decentralization on resource management worldwide, and provides comparative global insights with wide implications for policy, management, conservation and resource use and planning. Topics covered include forest governance in federal systems, democratic decentralization of forests and natural resources, paths and pitfalls in decentralization and biodiversity conservation in decentralized forests. The book provides in-depth case studies of decentralization from Bolivia, Ghana, Indonesia, Russia, Scotland, Switzerland, Uganda and the US, as well as highlights from federal countries including Australia, Brazil, Canada, India and Malaysia. It also addresses the critical links between the state, forests, communities and power relations in a range of regions and circumstances, and provides case examples of how decentralization has been viewed and experienced by communities in Guatemala, Philippines and Zimbabwe. The Politics of Decentralization is state-of-the-art coverage of decentralization and is essential for practitioners, academics and policy-makers across forestry and the full spectrum of natural resource management.

Author : Pranab K. Bardhan
Publisher : MIT Press (MA)
Page : 375 pages
File Size : 22,74 MB
Release : 2014-05-14
Category : Comparative government
ISBN : 9780262267694

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Comparative and interdisciplinary perspectives on the current trend in the developing world of devolving political and economic power to local governments.

Author : James Manor
Publisher : World Bank Publications
Page : 152 pages
File Size : 22,94 MB
Release : 1999
Category : Business & Economics
ISBN :

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Nearly all countries worldwide are now experimenting with decentralization. Their motivation are diverse. Many countries are decentralizing because they believe this can help stimulate economic growth or reduce rural poverty, goals central government interventions have failed to achieve. Some countries see it as a way to strengthen civil society and deepen democracy. Some perceive it as a way to off-load expensive responsibilities onto lower level governments. Thus, decentralization is seen as a solution to many different kinds of problems. This report examines the origins and implications decentralization from a political economy perspective, with a focus on its promise and limitations. It explores why countries have often chosen not to decentralize, even when evidence suggests that doing so would be in the interests of the government. It seeks to explain why since the early 1980s many countries have undertaken some form of decentralization. This report also evaluates the evidence to understand where decentralization has considerable promise and where it does not. It identifies conditions needed for decentralization to succeed. It identifies the ways in which decentralization can promote rural development. And it names the goals which decentralization will probably not help achieve.

Author : Janine A. Clark
Publisher : Columbia University Press
Page : 402 pages
File Size : 15,56 MB
Release : 2018-04-03
Category : Political Science
ISBN : 0231545010

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In recent years, authoritarian states in the Middle East and North Africa have faced increasing international pressure to decentralize political power. Decentralization is presented as a panacea that will foster good governance and civil society, helping citizens procure basic services and fight corruption. Two of these states, Jordan and Morocco, are monarchies with elected parliaments and recent experiences of liberalization. Morocco began devolving certain responsibilities to municipal councils decades ago, while Jordan has consistently followed a path of greater centralization. Their experiences test such assumptions about the benefits of localism. Janine A. Clark examines why Morocco decentralized while Jordan did not and evaluates the impact of their divergent paths, ultimately explaining how authoritarian regimes can use decentralization reforms to consolidate power. Local Politics in Jordan and Morocco argues that decentralization is a tactic authoritarian regimes employ based on their coalition strategies to expand their base of support and strengthen patron-client ties. Clark analyzes the opportunities that decentralization presents to local actors to pursue their interests and lays out how municipal-level figures find ways to use reforms to their advantage. In Morocco, decentralization has resulted not in greater political inclusivity or improved services, but rather in the entrenchment of pro-regime elites in power. The main Islamist political party has also taken advantage of these reforms. In Jordan, decentralization would undermine the networks that benefit elites and their supporters. Based on extensive fieldwork, Local Politics in Jordan and Morocco is an important contribution to Middle East studies and political science that challenges our understanding of authoritarian regimes’ survival strategies and resilience.

Author : G. Shabbir Cheema
Publisher : Brookings Institution Press
Page : 338 pages
File Size : 26,51 MB
Release : 2007-08-01
Category : Business & Economics
ISBN : 0815713908

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A Brookings Institution Press and Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation publication The trend toward greater decentralization of governance activities, now accepted as commonplace in the West, has become a worldwide movement. This international development—largely a product of globalization and democratization—is clearly one of the key factors reshaping economic, political, and social conditions throughout the world. Rather than the top-down, centralized decisionmaking that characterized communist economies and Third World dictatorships in the twentieth century, today's world demands flexibility, adaptability, and the autonomy to bring those qualities to bear. In this thought-provoking book, the first in a new series on Innovations in Governance, experts in government and public management trace the evolution and performance of decentralization concepts, from the transfer of authority within government to the sharing of power, authority, and responsibilities among broader governance institutions. This movement is not limited to national government—it also affects subnational governments, NGOs, private corporations, and even civil associations. The contributors assess the emerging concepts of decentralization (e.g., devolution, empowerment, capacity building, and democratic governance). They detail the factors driving the movement, including political changes such as the fall of the Iron Curtain and the ascendance of democracy; economic factors such as globalization and outsourcing; and technological advances (e.g. increased information technology and electronic commerce). Their analysis covers many different contexts and regions. For example, William Ascher of Claremont McKenna College chronicles how decentralization concepts are playing out in natural resources policy, while Kadmeil Wekwete (United Nations) outlines the specific challenges to decentralizing governance in sub-Saharan Africa. In each case, contributors explore the objectives of a decentralizing strategy as well as the benefits and difficulties that will likely result.

Author : Jean-Paul Faguet
Publisher : University of Michigan Press
Page : 373 pages
File Size : 49,60 MB
Release : 2012-06-04
Category : History
ISBN : 0472118196

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Faguet identifies the factors that determine the outcomes of national decentralization on the local level

Author : Kwame Badu Antwi-Boasiako
Publisher : Stephen F. Austin University Press
Page : 308 pages
File Size : 26,89 MB
Release : 2014
Category : Political Science
ISBN :

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Theories of Decentralization and Local Government brings fresh perspective to the debate and comparative analysis of vertical division of power; i.e. processes of decentralization and relations between central and local (self) governments. The multiple author book is not just one of many similar around the globe, as it encompasses contributions from many different academics from not only different countries, but also different continents and even more importantly, very different political traditions and cultures. This way, the book deepens and strengthens knowledge of the role of local governments in the contemporary world, and brings new value to discussions on the relationship between decentralization and development. Contributors include: Ahmed Mustafa Elhussein Mansour, Hong Pang, Abdulfattah Yaghi, Jose Neftali Recinos, Gariela Miranda-Recinos, Lee Payne, Heather Wyatt Nichol, Ed Gibson, James Newman, Kwame Asamoah, Minerva Cruz, and Alexandra Tsvetkova.

Author : Lovise Aalen
Publisher : Routledge
Page : 182 pages
File Size : 17,15 MB
Release : 2017-10-12
Category : Political Science
ISBN : 1315472392

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Can autocrats establish representative subnational governments? And which strategies of manipulation are available if they would like to reduce the uncertainty caused by introducing political decentralisation? In the wake of local government reforms, several states across the world have introduced legislation that provides for subnational elections. This does not mean that representative subnational governments in these countries are all of a certain standard. Political decentralisation should not be confused with democratisation, as the process is likely to be manipulated in ways that do not produce meaningful avenues for political participation and contestation locally. Using examples from Africa, Lovise Aalen and Ragnhild L. Muriaas propose five requirements for representative subnational governments and four strategies that national governments might use to manipulate the outcome of political decentralisation. The case studies of Ethiopia, Malawi, South Africa, and Uganda illustrate why autocrats sometimes are more open to competition at the subnational level than democrats. Manipulating Political Decentralisation provides a new conceptual tool to assess representative subnational governments' quality, aiding us in building theories on the consequences of political decentralisation on democratisation.

Author : Pinaki Chakraborty
Publisher : Cambridge University Press
Page : 224 pages
File Size : 41,16 MB
Release : 2016-03-11
Category : Business & Economics
ISBN : 1316673952

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This book is an analytical examination of financing and public service delivery challenges in a decentralized framework. It also provides critical insights into the effectiveness of public expenditure, through benefit incidence analysis of education and healthcare services in India. The benefits of decentralization always come with conflicts and trade-offs. By unpacking the process of decentralization, the authors identify that 'unfunded mandates', arising from the asymmetry between finances and functions at local levels, are a major challenge. The analysis is carried out by distilling the existing studies in this area, and through an empirical investigation of public finance data at different public sector levels in India, as well as in some selected developing countries. Using the household survey statistics of consumption expenditure, an analysis of utilization or benefit incidence of public spending on social sectors in India is achieved, covering education and health sectors. This title is available as Open Access on Cambridge Core.

Author : Edward B. Fiske
Publisher : World Bank Publications
Page : 52 pages
File Size : 37,89 MB
Release : 1996-01-01
Category : Education
ISBN : 9780821337233

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This book identifies and examines the political dimensions of decentralization. Decentralization programs vary from country to country, but there are common threads and fundamental questions in all situations. The book covers the following themes and topics: (1) a case study of school decentralization in Colombia over a period of more than two decades; (2) why decentralization is political; (3) why countries decentralize; (4) what decentralization accomplishes; (5) the importance of developing consensus; and (6) how to begin building consensus. (Contains 32 references.) (EH)