bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Public Subsidy, Property Development, and Economic Activity: An Evaluation of Britain's Rural Development Commission's Redundant Building Grant
Authors: Dabinett G , Lawless P
Published: October 2006

The Rural Development Commission (RDC) operates the Redundant Building Grant (RBG) which is designed to bring redundant buildings in certain rural areas into commercial activity. In this paper a recent evaluation of the grant is outlined. At the national level RDC data can be used to describe the key characteristics of the grant. This evaluation is primarily based on data obtained from more than 400 applicants in nine counties. This information is employed to assess RBG within three parameters; the property market; economic consequences; and performance impact measures. Policy issues are raised in relation to the specificity of RBG and deadweight.
Enter the Supermarket: Entrepreneurial Medical Practice in New Zealand
Authors: Kearns R A , Barnett J R
Published: October 2006

New Zealand, like many other capitalist countries, has recently witnessed an increased corporate involvement in medicine. One manifestation of this change has been the entry of medical ‘supermarkets’—multipurpose clinics which juxtapose general practitioners (GPs) and specialists, are company owned, and employ advertising. The authors document the development and implications of these clinics which, although small in number, have induced change in the behaviour of the GP community at large. They conclude that recent developments involve a ‘coming out of the closet’ of a fundamental contradiction in the way general practice is conducted in New Zealand. This is between the role of the caring providers founded on the Hippocratic oath, and that of income-generating business people within an increasingly market-driven society. This contradiction leads to speculation on a broader question: The degree to which competition among primary care provides is possible within fee-for-service and other types of health-care systems.
The Assignment of Functions to Decentralized Government: From Theory to Practice
Authors: Dafflon B
Published: October 2006

The question of why key academic economic arguments for the assignment of functions to decentralized government have not informed the political debate in Switzerland is examined in this paper. In the first section the most relevant theoretical factors of optimal government organization for service delivery are reviewed. A catalogue of criteria that have been debated in the Swiss context at both federal–cantonal and cantonal–local levels are covered in the second section. The main point is that the discussion is focused on rather different criteria from those noted in orthodox economic theory. The analysis of the causes and discrepancies between theory and practice permits a more general conclusion, addressed to fiscal federalism. The conclusion is that there is no general answer to how functions should be assigned to a particular level of government, as the solution depends upon the relevant value-judgments of the polity as well as the resources-use required to provide given services. The outcome is a set of proposals on how better procedures for the assignment of functions might be developed.
Purpose Built for Failure? Local, Regional and National Government in Britain
Authors: Cheshire P C , D'Arcy E , Giussani B
Published: October 2006

A critical analysis of the formal structure of government in Britain as it relates to questions of regional and local development is presented. According to a broadly economic framework, the argument is developed that the way that two of the most influential policies—local economic development and land-use planning—have developed is increasingly in conflict with the present structure of government. The logic of the policies is only compatible with a regional tier of government. The emerging paradigm for regional policy prescribes a ‘bottom-up’ approach to development which is focused on supply-side instruments. But policy in England is entirely driven and largely delivered from the centre. Wales and Scotland have an administrative structure which is rather less inconsistent with ‘bottom-up’ policies. Land-use planning, which in practice has a significant impact on the regional pattern of development, has been increasingly displaced to the most local tier of government—the districts. Conflict between the goals and implementation of policy arises in this case because, although the costs of physical development are contained at the local level, the benefits of development arise at the regional level. Thus two policy sectors which should be complementary and coordinated are increasingly in conflict; and the economic logic of the policies is inconsistent with the governmental structures through which they are delivered. The solution to this problem is the introduction of a regional tier of government and an appropriate balance of functions between national, regional, and local government.
Territorial Justice and Thatcherism
Authors: Boyne G A , Powell M
Published: October 2006

Changes in the level of territorial justice in the construction of new dwellings during the 1980s are examined. It has been widely argued that spatial equity has declined since the 1970s, particularly in the context of the ‘north–south divide’. Thus, it may be expected that territorial justice—spatial equity at the local authority level—also declined during the Thatcher years. The general arguments and evidence on spatial equity are critically reviewed, and then the relationship between housing needs and housing provision is analysed empirically. The results indicate that there was less territorial justice in private provision, and there were conflicting trends in public provision: Territorial justice declined in the local authority sector, but increased in the housing association sector. However, in total, Thatcherism was associated with less territorial justice.
Improving Citizen Participation in Environmental Decisionmaking: The Use of Transformative Mediator Techniques
Authors: Ozawa C P
Published: October 2006

Recent experiences in the United States suggest that mediators employ a number of techniques designed to resolve disputes over critical technical components of decisions. Some of these techniques, called ‘transformative mediator techniques’, both increase the knowledge base for decisions and enhance the abilities of resource-poor groups to protect and promote their interests. In this paper, elements of transformative and nontransformative mediator techniques are identified and discussed. Examples of mediator techniques are drawn from three cases: A regulatory negotiation to develop emission standards for wood stoves, a policy dialogue concerning a proposal to construct a solid-waste incinerator in New York City, and settlement negotiations in a fishery dispute involving three Native American tribes, the State of Michigan, and two federal agencies.
Local Democracy and Innovation in Eastern Europe
Authors: Clark T N
Published: October 2006

In this paper, the transition to democracy by Eastern European local governments is outlined. First, the 1990 elections are analyzed, the first democratic elections in half a century. Strategies of candidates and parties to gain power, and pressures toward privatization and economic development are discussed, drawing on fieldwork by Eastern European teams in the Local Democracy and Innovation Project. To clarify future directions of these new democracies, eight options are discussed—reliance on the traditional Soviet model, unions, clientelism, ethnic or regional identification, the church, the populist leader, voluntary associations, and the new political culture. These eight options constitute distinct rules of eight separate games. Rather than a single game or model predominating, continuity in these eight over time is expected. Still, the first games are likely to be superseded by those further down the list.
Fiscal Perception and Voting
Authors: Bosch N , Suárez-Pandiello J
Published: October 2006

The effect of local fiscal policy perception on the electoral process in a representative democracy is investigated. The test is made by using an ordinary least squares regression on a sample of fifty Spanish municipalities. The dependent variable is the relative increase in the number of votes in support of the political party in power between the two previous local elections, and the independent variables are public investment and taxes collected by local government. The empirical evidence supports the hypothesis that fiscal perception affects voters’ behaviour.
The Impact of Government-Assisted Management Training and Development on Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises in Britain
Authors: Marshall J N , Alderman N , Wong C , Thwaites A
Published: October 2006

Small and medium-sized firms in Britain have been encouraged by a range of government policies. In this paper, the impact of Business Growth Training Option 3 is examined, which between 1989 and 1991 provided financial assistance to small and medium-sized firms to employ consultants to help them train and develop their management staff. A novel methodology is employed; it follows a cohort of firms through their Option 3 project, and compares them with a matched sample of firms not in receipt of assistance. The evaluation demonstrates the effectiveness of support for management training in small and medium-sized enterprises. It shows that Option 3 produced a substantial increase in the scale and range of management training. It also shows that Option 3 assistance led to improvements in management, organisation, and business performance in participant firms. Based on this evidence, a series of recommendations are made for both government policy and further academic research.
Deliberate Disease: Biological Weapons, Threats, and Policy Responses
Authors: Chevrier M I
Published: October 2006

The arguments for and against the acquisition of biological and toxin weapons (BTW) are examined. A country's decision to acquire such weapons is analyzed by means of matrix analysis, separating the effects of three parameters: The offensive capability of the aggressor, the retaliatory capability of the target, and the military purpose(s) to which the weapons would be applied. The research identifies those circumstances wherein BTW are most likely to be used. The findings have implications for the type of arms control regime that should be implemented to minimize the probability that these weapons will be used, and to control their proliferation. Specifically, the author makes recommendations concerning proposals to promote compliance with the 1972 Biological Weapons Convention.
The Determination of Eligible Rents for Housing Benefit: The Implementation by Local Authorities of Central Government Policy
Authors: Kemp P A , McLaverty P
Published: October 2006

The findings of research into the policy and practice of local authority housing-benefit sections in determining the eligible rent levels on which housing-benefit payments for private tenants are calculated are set out. It is shown that there are differences in the ways in which housing-benefit sections interpret and put into effect the regulations in this area of housing-benefit administration. The entitlements of housing-benefit claimants in similar circumstances may, therefore, differ depending on the part of Britain in which they live. The paper ends with a brief consideration of ways in which the situation might be improved.
Economic Development in Taiwan: Escaping the State—Market Dichotomy
Authors: Chan S , Clark C
Published: October 2006

The case of a very successful developing country—Taiwan—is examined in order to assess the importance of market phenomena and governmental policy leadership for promoting development. In their analysis of postwar Taiwan, therefore, the authors reject the temptation to dichotomize ‘state versus market’, and instead argue strongly in favor of a ‘state and market’ approach. The ability to accommodate and manipulate economic market forces was central to Taiwan's economic miracle because the island's businesses became highly competitive on world markets and carved out a niche of comparative advantage in the global economy. Much of the credit for this, furthermore, rests with the flexible production of small private firms. However, the state also played a significant role in boosting the island's competitiveness by promoting several structural transformations of the economy, creating a good business environment for entrepreneurs, channeling foreign capital into a few vital sectors, and financing infrastructure and human capital development. A key factor in the state's positive role, in turn, appears to be regime autonomy. That is, until quite recently, the government has been rather autonomous from social forces and unconstrained by electoral politics and popular accountability.
Red and Green: Air Pollution Levels and Left Party Power in OECD Countries
Authors: King R F , Borchardt A
Published: October 2006

Recent review articles in environmental policy have called for more rigorous cross-national tests and for better integration with the standard literature on comparative politics and political economy. In this paper we take a first step in that direction, examining the relationship between air pollution and left party strength in seventeen OECD countries. Despite theoretical salience and political relevance, we know of no previous attempt of this sort. Three competing hypotheses exist. First, because of an historic agenda which emphasizes maximum employment and material welfare for the working class, left party strength might be associated with lower than normal environmental quality. Second, given the belief in government intervention to socialize the negative externalities of market capitalism, left party strength might motivate higher than normal environmental quality. Third, despite observed variations in agenda setting, policy formulation, and implementation, skeptics have often replied, “different styles, similar content”, suggesting no party relevance at all. Our analysis, controlling for quantitative energy consumption and qualitative economic structure, reveals a moderate but sustainable inverse relationship between left party strength and per capita levels of air pollution. In the conclusion we speculate how and why this result might occur.
The Challenge of Expenditure-Assignment Reform in Russia
Authors: Martinez-Vazquez J
Published: October 2006

This paper is an examination of the critical role the assignment of expenditure responsibilities must play in building the Russian Federation. The fiscal federalism system and the expenditure assignments inherited from the Soviet Union were not truly decentralized. All the real decisions were made back in Moscow. Although subnational governments now have authority to create their own budgets, past processes and institutions still undermine local autonomy. However, the most serious threat to the Russian Federation comes from the lack of a stable assignment of responsibilities. Primarily for budgetary convenience, the federal government has jettisoned certain expenditure responsibilities onto oblast and rayon governments in the past two years, putting Russian intergovernmental relations on a perilous path. So far, the Parliament and the Executive have failed to recognize that a stable expenditure assignment is the first and necessary step in the design of a lasting system of intergovernmental fiscal relations. Instead, the political system has concentrated entirely on revenue assignments which have not endured. The author analyzes several sets of issues that must be addressed in the design of a stable assignment of expenditure responsibilities in the Russian Federation, including the reassignment of social expenditures and social safety-net responsibilities, the reassignment of capital spending responsibilities, and the divestiture of public services by state enterprises.
Revenue Sharing in Russia
Authors: Bahl R , Wallace S
Published: October 2006

The Russian system of federalism is in the midst of a difficult transition from a highly centralized to a more decentralized regime. It is a reasonable proposition that the final solution will somehow be a kind of assignment system, but it is unclear what path will have to be followed to reach that stated goal. The present system of revenue sharing is based on shared taxes and subventions. It is a two-tiered system, with the federal government laying down the rules for central–oblast sharing, and each oblast making the rules for the local governments within its jurisdiction. This paper updates a World Bank analysis of the revenue-sharing system in the Russian Federation, using actual data for 1992 and the most current tax-sharing rules and adds some empirical evidence to what is known about the intra-oblast dimension of revenue sharing.
Yesterday in Parliament: British Politicians and Debate over Stratospheric Ozone Depletion, 1970–92
Authors: Purvis M
Published: October 2006

In this paper British politicians' understanding of, and attitudes towards, an important element of global environmental change are analysed through study of the parliamentary record Hansard, especially questions to ministers. In particular, attention is given to the evolution of debates concerning stratospheric ozone depletion during the period 1970–92, This focus reflects the importance of ozone depiction as an issue per se, but is also consistent with the wider argument that we need to study the development of specific environmental issues if we are to develop a more sophisticated understanding of the greening of politics; a process hitherto frequently considered as a somewhat incoherent whole, The aim is to trace the chronology of concern about stratospheric ozone, to identify the stimuli to interest in the issue, and to analyse the content and limitations of discussion. This last involves examination of interaction between a global environmental issue and the ideologies of the British national party-political system. The value of consideration of national debate about global issues is thus asserted, National and international debate and diplomacy form interacting elements of a ‘two-level game’ through which politics and environmental concerns become engaged. Previous studies which were focused chiefly on the evolution of a new environmental diplomacy at the international level thus tell only part of the story.
The Industrial Resurgence of Southern California? Advanced Ground Transportation Equipment Manufacturing and Local Economic Development
Authors: Scott A J , Bergman D
Published: October 2006

Southern California is in a deeply rooted process of economic restructuring. Much of the region's manufacturing base is made up of two groups of industries: A declining aerospace–defense sector, and a low-wage, low-skill sweatshop sector. What are the prospects for creating a growing manufacturing base focused on high-wage, high-skill industries? In this paper we examine the opportunities presented by the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority's $183 billion thirty-year capital improvement plan as the potential catalyst of a set of technological and manufacturing synergies that would reorient the regional economy towards a new advanced ground transportation equipment industry. We investigate the dynamics of agglomerated complexes of industry in general, and the institutional and infrastructural arrangements that create and sustain competitive advantage within regional economic systems. Next, we evaluate the potential for the successful development of a technologically dynamic advanced ground transportation equipment industry in Southern California. This central part of the analysis focuses on (a) the existing industrial assets of the region, (b) specific forms of institution building that need to be carried out in the interests of local economic development and high-quality job creation, and (c) the importance of building a cooperative, high-trust manufacturing system. We then offer suggestions for specific types of policy intervention that might foster new forms of local economic growth. We argue that a coordinated response by both the public and the private sectors could conceivably set the region on a successful new economic development trajectory.
Two Models of Local Development Politics
Authors: Baglioni M , Vicari S
Published: October 2006

In this paper three case studies of urban development policies are outlined in order to advance two models of the diverse structuring of interaction between business and politicians. The three cases concern the Italian cities of Pavia, Parma, and Modena. For each city we describe the economic and political context and review the planning policy, focusing on specific decisionmaking processes. This sets the stage for an analysis of the interaction between political and economic actors and for an evaluation of the results of that analysis with respect to the effectiveness of the decisionmaking and implementation processes of urban policy. Those factors which account for the relative strength of business interests and elected officials and favor their engaging in the bargaining relationships are discussed, and two contrasting models of their interaction are presented.
Municipal Budgets in Poland and the Czech Republic in the Third Year of Reform
Authors: Surazska W , Blazek J
Published: October 2006

Municipal budgets in Poland and the Czech Republic are compared in the context of the institutional settings adopted for local government in each country. Wildavsky's model of budgetary behaviour for ‘poor and uncertain’ budget makers is applied to explain the financial decisions of local authorities in the circumstances of postcommunist transition. The scope of independence of local budgeting is examined in both countries with regard to legal restrictions on municipal revenues and expenditures and also in regard to the relationship between local government and the intermediary level of state administration. Two hypotheses are tested concerning the capital expenditures of the municipal governments under study. The first seeks to explain the impact of state grants on the level of municipal investments, depending on the way they are distributed—directly from the centre or through the district offices. The second hypothesis concerns the consequences of electoral rules on budgetary decisions of the respective councils. At the end, a map of municipal incomes is produced for each country, both reflecting the west—cast gradient of modernization.
The Rates Revisited? A Geographical Reassignment of Property Valuations and Local Tax Burdens under the Council Tax
Authors: Longley P , Higgs G , Martin D
Published: October 2006

In this paper the detailed patterns of British property valuation and local revenue raising under the council tax are compared with those prevailing under the domestic rates. The results of matching individual council-tax valuations with rateable values for the 47000 domestic properties that make up the Inner Area of Cardiff, Wales, are reported. A geographical information system is used to identify the disaggregate pattern of properties which have been assigned higher or lower relative values after the abolition of the domestic rates. The findings are seen as significant in describing the intraurban geography of property values in Britain: properties constructed by local authorities now attract significantly lower relative valuations; pre-1919 private-sector housing is now more highly valued; and different construction types (for example, purpose-built flats, converted flats, and ends of terraces) attract quite different valuations under the two regimes. Overall, the distribution of rateable values vis-à-vis that of council-tax bands is likely to have had a multifaceted effect upon local revenue raising, and the authors begin to explore its changed geography in some detail.
Statutory Division of Public Assets following Local Government Reconfiguration: An Economic Analysis
Authors: Knaap G
Published: October 2006

In this paper a problem is addressed that arises when the boundaries of local governments change: how to distribute the assets of the reconfigured local government. Many state statutes apportion assets according to relative property value. Such statutes, however, raise important economic and legal issues in local public finance. Specifically, fundamental issues arise concerning what assets should be apportioned, how assets should be valued, and whether division formulas prescribed by state statutes achieve their stated objective of dividing according to past contribution. In this paper these issues are addressed by means of simple present-value formulas, and it is demonstrated that most state statutes only rarely achieve their stated goals. The paper concludes with suggestions for a more equitable division process.
A Change in the Rules and a Change in the Outcomes? An Evaluation of the Work of the Boundary Commission for England in its Third and Fourth Periodic Reviews
Authors: Johnston R J , Rossiter D J , Pattie C J
Published: October 2006

The rules under which the UK Boundary Commissions operate are imprecise in their wording. An attempt to achieve greater precision through the courts in 1982–83, after the Commissions had completed their Third Periodic Review of all constituencies, produced exactly the opposite outcome with judgements stressing the flexibility which the Commissions are accorded; one aspect of those judgements suggested greater importance for one of the rules (Rule 7) than had previously been assigned to it. The authors compare the outcome of the Third and Fourth Periodic Reviews conducted by the Boundary Commission for England. They find that the major change has been greater attention to electoral equality across all constituencies in the latter of the two—which is exactly what the 1982 court case had sought.
Pollution, Political Agendas, and Policy Windows: Environmental Policy on the Eve of Silent Spring
Authors: Solecki W D , Shelley F M
Published: October 2006

The objective of this paper is to illustrate that concern over environmental pollution became a significant national issue in the United States during the late 1950s, many years earlier than is typically acknowledged by environmental historians and policy analysts. Kingdon's model of agenda development is used to document how air and water pollution was transformed from an issue of local concern and control to an issue of national significance during the 1950s. The analysis focuses on two case studies: the development of pollution as a political issue in the state of New Jersey; and the development of pollution as a significant policy issue in the national political arena. Political leaders both within New Jersey and nationwide linked pollution control to other contemporary concerns about urban decay and suburban growth in order to win the allegiance of undecided voters. Pollution control became part of the debate over the role of the federal government in addressing urban ills. Concern about pollution also became important in the general restructuring of the US political landscape in this period, helping to set the stage for Democratic Party activism on the environment and other issues after 1960.
Evaluation of Negative Externality by Pollutees
Authors: Ozsabuneuoglu I H
Published: October 2006

The use of water polluted by municipal and industrial waste for irrigating crops grown in Oguzeli (Gaziantep) creates significant problems in terms of crop and soil quality, human health, and the environment. The behavioral patterns of farmers is believed to be an important factor in solving environmental problems. In this paper, data were analyzed by using the contingent valuation technique, and a functional relationship based on the willingness to pay (WTP) of pollutees was established. Variance analysis and regression models provided support for the diminishing marginal WTP theory. Moreover, the contribution ratio, the area given over to nonirrigated dry land, and income from animal and dairy products are statistically meaningful variables in addition to total income and the area given over to vegetable production.
Directing the Show? Business Leaders, Local Partnership, and Economic Regeneration in Sheffield
Authors: Strange I
Published: October 2006

The processes of urban economic restructuring in Britain, and the political responses to it, have entailed not only a drive but also a need for greater cooperation between government and nongovernment actors. The process of economic restructuring, together with a raft of centrally determined urban policy measures which have transformed the modus operandi of the local state, have made governing at the local level a more complex and more fragmented task. In this context of shifting relations between business, state, and urban policy, I examine the role of business in the regeneration of Sheffield and assess whether local business leaders have been able to establish a distinctive business-oriented agenda for regeneration. In the analysis I trace the evolution of business participation in the city's regeneration network, and reveal the struggles faced by the business community in the process of coalition building. A further aim in the paper is to examine the relevance of growth-coalition and urban-regime theories in interpreting the role of local business leaders in the changing landscape of urban governance.
Planning for Housing Land in the English Regions: A Critique of Household Projections and Regional Planning Guidance Mechanisms
Authors: Baker M , Wong C
Published: October 2006

In this paper the authors examine the technical assumptions and measurement errors involved in the population and household projections which constitute the basic ingredient of housing land allocations in England. They also provide an analysis of the advice on housing land provision in the Regional Planning Guidance (RPG) series, picking out similarities and differences in the approach taken by the Secretary of State for the Environment in each region. They conclude with some thoughts on the appropriateness of current mechanisms for the allocation of future housing requirements at the strategic or regional level.
Decentralization and Democracy in Eastern Europe: A Sceptical Approach
Authors: Pickvance C G
Published: October 2006

The author focuses on the link between local government decentralization and democracy in Eastern Europe. It is shown that decentralization is a multidimensional concept and that actual local government systems can be positioned differently on each dimension (functions, control, and finance) depending on the implicit model of local government. Formal and substantive definitions of democracy are distinguished and some conventional measures examined; it is concluded that decentralization and democracy do not necessarily go together. The degree of decentralization and implicit models of postsocialist local government in Eastern Europe are then outlined, with a focus on the contrast between Budapest and Moscow. The development of social movements in the two capitals is taken as an index of substantive democracy and is shown to be influenced not only by the extent of decentralization but also by other features of the local political context. This illustrates the earlier argument that the relation between decentralization and democracy is an empirically variable one rather than a necessary one.
Between Centralism and Localism: On the Development of Local Self-Government in Postsocialist Europe
Authors: Elander I
Published: October 2006

During real-socialism in Central and Eastern Europe the scope for local government discretion was marginal. Local government had a very low degree of legitimacy, and this is something that poses a big problem when it comes to developing local self-government under postsocialism. It seems as if most citizens are prepared to pin their hopes on new central leaders, while they are still very hesitant with regard to local self-governance. Various expressions of localism appeared during the first three to four years of postsocialist development. However, today it seems as if the tide has turned in favour of more centralist hopes and policies. This development is discussed in the light of some of the arguments commonly raised in favour of centralism and localism, respectively, highlighting the complex relationships between the two concepts and their current manifestations. In the concluding section some ideas are put forward concerning the issue how to bridge the gap between centralism and localism, and there is also a reminder that some of the current developments of local government in Eastern and Central Europe are similar to those in Western Europe. This makes a strong argument in favour of intensified transnational contacts between academics, practitioners, and ordinary citizens with an interest in developing local self-government.
Decentralization in Public Administration and Provision of Services: An East — Central European View
Authors: Horváth T M
Published: October 2006

Administrative decentralization is the technical side of democratization. Two examples are decentralization in the structure of public administration, and decentralization in provision of local services, which seems to be more complicated, Some type of integration is necessary for ‘real’ administrative decentralization, the purpose of which is to get closer to democratization. However, fragmentation is not a synonym of decentralization. According to my hypothesis the more decentralized a system the more necessary it is to integrate its basic units. There are different forms of integration. The scale is very wide: it varies from amalgamation, to the creation of voluntary associations among municipalities. Administrative decentralization does not exclude public managerial integration in service delivery. In East – Central European countries, parallel to the structural decentralization, different new forms of integration are emerging, simply as a result of the establishment of local institutions in place of former monopolies. This nonadministrative, functional, integration seems to be very important for the development of effectiveness in local democracy.
Decentralization or (Re)Centralization: Struggle for Political Power in Poland
Authors: Regulska J
Published: October 2006

The author argues that in Poland the 1989 commitment to political and administrative decentralization has weakened over the last seven years and has resulted in (re)centralizing tendencies. It is argued that the center's interest in gaining short-term political successes rather than engaging in long-term reforms fostered the retention of past centralized practices and the emergence of new (re)centralizing tendencies. This has been accomplished by the central state through application of three sets of forces: (1) fiscal, (2) political, and (3) systemic (preservation of the past). The first part of the paper lays out a theoretical framework for analysis of pressures and barriers to decentralization and (re)centralization. The second is an examination of the process of implementation in Poland, of local government and public administration reform over the period 1989–96. The third is an examination of (re)centralization processes in the context of political and fiscal forces as well as the inability of the center to reform itself and terminate the legacy of the past system in its multidimensional form (legal, institutional, territorial). The author concludes by asserting that, although clear (re)centralizing tendencies can be identified, Polish (re)centralization is characterized by the duality of the struggle: to move forward with the reforms and to dismantle the remnants of the past centralized system. Therefore, although Polish (re)centralization may appear similar in form, it differs in terms of causes from countries that are not subject to political and economic restructuring.
Bad Land and Bad Law: The Role of Local Authorities in the Formulation of New Legislation and Guidance for Contaminated Land in the United Kingdom
Authors: Walton W
Published: October 2006

The 1990 Environmental Protection Act introduced the requirement for local authorities in the United Kingdom to establish and prepare registers of land that had previously been subjected to a potentially contaminative use. This was met with opposition from a range of interests who articulated concerns about potential blight and the effects upon property development. Amongst these interests were those of local authorities of which the larger ones, it is contended, would have good reason to oppose the introduction of registers because of the fear of their consequential impact on local economic development. In this paper the author appraises the local authority responses to the government's proposals for registers of potentially contaminated land and, following the government's decision to abandon the registers, their views of what policy and legal measures ought to be adopted in their place. The author then considers the extent to which these views have been reflected in the 1995 Environment Act which sought, inter alia, to provide a comprehensive legal and policy framework for the resolution of the location and apportionment of contaminated land liabilities.
Environmental Policy in Thailand: Values, Attitudes, and Behavior among the Slum Dwellers of Bangkok
Authors: Daniere A G , Takahashi L M
Published: October 2006

Contemporary governments have an important role in promoting economic development and at the same time improving the quality of life experienced by its people, but in many nations of the Pacific Rim governments can be hampered by the pace of the rapid urbanization, as well as poor understanding of the connection between values, attitudes, and behavior regarding public policy initiatives. In this paper the authors, through an analysis of the relationship between traditional Thai cultural values, attitudes, and behavior regarding environmental issues, health and environmental practices, and policy, explore whether environmental policies in Thailand effectively reflect the needs of low-income urban communities. A survey of 515 slum dwellers in Bangkok reveals that behavior which improves the quality of life is related to a number of important attitudes as well as cultural values. Cultural values based on the Thai notion of individualism, for example, are an obstacle to community-based environmental behavior, An understanding of cultural values and their linkages to attitudes and behavior is thus critical to the design of more effective policies.
The Invention of Regions: Political Restructuring and Territorial Government in Western Europe
Authors: Keating M
Published: October 2006

Regionalism has come back to prominence, as the political, economic, cultural, and social meaning of space is changing in contemporary Europe. In some ways, politics, economics, and public policies are deterritorializing; but at the same time and in other ways, there is a reterritorialization of economic, political, and governmental activity. The ‘new regionalism’ is the product of this decomposition and recomposition of the territorial framework of public life, consequent on changes in the state, the market, and the international context. Functional needs, institutional restructuring, and political mobilization all play a role. Regionalism must now be placed in the context of the international market and the European Union, as well as the nation-state.
The EU and the Regions; Towards a Three-Tier System or New Modes of Regulation?
Authors: Tömmel I
Published: October 2006

During the last decade, the regions have emerged as ‘new actors’ in European decisionmaking and policy implementation. The new role assumed by regional governments and authorities in the European Union (EU) system has emerged neither by itself nor by global moves towards decentralization, but has been actively triggered by the European Commission. Particularly through its strategy of policymaking in the framework of the Structural Funds, regions and other decentralized actors have been stimulated to play a more active and independent role. For this purpose, the Commission, constrained by a lack of extensive formal powers and competences, has made wide use of informal or underformalized processes and procedures of decisionmaking and policy implementation. These strategies are analyzed with the author's aim of highlighting the most important innovations resulting from the recent reforms of the Structural Funds. The response of the regions to the policy framework set out by the Commission is highlighted through selected examples. On the basis of empirical material, conclusions are drawn with regard to the future development of the EU system as a whole. It is argued that this system will not so much evolve into a fully fledged three-tier system, but rather will be characterized by new modes of regulation which, in the long run, will transform traditional state intervention at all government levels, and by new modes of exercising power which are based on the skillful pooling and sharing of the power resources of many divergent actors, both public and private.
Towards Regional Government in Central Europe: Territorial Restructuring of Postcommunist Regimes
Authors: Surazska W , Bucek J , Malikova L , Danek P
Published: October 2006

Territorial systems in Poland, Hungary, the Czech Republic, and Slovakia are surveyed together with factors that have determined their present shape. The most important among these are: a relatively late start in the building of the modern state, the legacy of communist regimes, and the exigencies of postcommunist transition. In the second part of the paper territorial cleavages occurring in the region are examined, in particular: the centre–periphery contrasts; the urban–rural cleavage; the West – East gradient of modernisation and economic development; and sociocultural cleavages as reflected in local self-organisation. In the third part of the paper the strategies of territorial reorganisation are discussed, as they are debated and implemented in the countries under study.
Institution Building and Decentralization in Formerly Socialist Countries: The Cases of Poland, Hungary, and East Germany
Authors: Wollmann H
Published: October 2006

The author aims at a comparative analysis of the institutional transformation, particularly in the central, regional, and local dimensions, of formerly socialist countries by looking at Hungary, Poland, and East Germany. Elaborating the different institutional arrangements with which the three countries came out of the founding period after the collapse of the communist regime, the author attempts to identify the specific constellation of forces and ideas that essentially shaped the institution-building process and its underlying institutionalizing logic in each country. Turning to the subsequent consolidating period the author tries to relate the different rates and paces of the following institutional adaptation and of the ‘reform of the reform’ primarily to the different arenas, issues, and strengths of the party-political competition that has emerged in these countries.
The Geography of Corporate Philanthropy in the United Kingdom
Authors: Hurd H , Mason C , Pinch S
Published: October 2006

The shift away from a state-dominated welfare state towards a pluralistic mix of diverse welfare agencies is placing a greater reliance upon the voluntary sector. The role of company support for the voluntary sector has become an issue of considerable significance in recent years, yet has been little analysed by geographers. Considerable variations are revealed in the geographical distribution of funds allocated by directly funded corporate charitable trusts to voluntary organisations in the United Kingdom; the patterns may be related to the sector of the companies that fund the trusts together with the location and nature of the charities receiving funds, The patterns suggest that the key element determining the geography of corporate philanthropy is the nature of the audience which the company is seeking to address through their donations policy. Manufacturing companies would appear to have stronger traditions of philanthropy being directed towards the communities where their production facilities are based, whereas service-based companies tend to disperse their donations more widely.
Metropolitan Government in Amsterdam and Eindhoven: A Tale of Two Cities
Authors: Van der Veer J
Published: October 2006

This paper consists of historical case studies of Amsterdam and Eindhoven which provide insight into political decisionmaking over plans for metropolitan government, Amsterdam extended its territory by more than three times in 1921, and Eindhoven by 80 times in 1920. After the 1920s large-scale annexations did not occur around the largest Dutch cities. The annexation of the Bijlmermeer to the southeast of Amsterdam (1966) was an exception. While Amsterdam annexed the Bijlmermeer, intermunicipal cooperation developed in the Eindhoven metropolitan area. It is argued that the political inheritance and the pattern of urbanisation play a major role in explaining the differences between Amsterdam and Eindhoven. Both cities also show similarities. Since the Second World War several plans have been developed for metropolitan governments, but they have not been very successful. Up to 1997, the typical Dutch solution was not metropolitan government but redistribution on a national level. The Netherlands is a small country; both in population and in size it is comparable with metropolitan areas such as Los Angeles or South East England. In an international comparative perspective, one might as well consider the Dutch national state as the real metropolitan government. It remains to be seen whether after a hundred years of discussion the national government will finally decide to establish some form of metropolitan government.
Integrated Regional Policy: Lessons from Switzerland
Authors: Thierstein A , Egger U K
Published: October 2006

The global context for regional policy is changing fast. Regional policy is challenged by the globalisation and regionalisation of political and economic structures, the implementation of sustainable development, and the reform of political and administrative structures. Most European countries have started to reformulate their regional policy. This wave of change has touched Switzerland as well. Although disparities between the regions are not of the same magnitude as in other countries, regional development problems can be found all over Switzerland. Regional policy, however, has not been adapted to tackle the present challenges. Evaluations in Switzerland and experiences in other countries reveal a need for a more integrated regional policy approach. With reference to the Swiss context, the authors outline the form an integrated policy approach could take. The approach includes the political system and sectoral policies with regional impact and comprises six elements: public and private actors; institutional structures and processes; top-down and bottom-up approaches; exogenous and endogenous strategies; economic, social, and environmental dimensions; and policies at regional, national, and European levels. This integrated perspective is complemented with considerations of how this approach in practice could look like on the national and the regional level. Special attention is given to the role of regional actors and institutions in the development process.