bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Unfair Housing Subsidy and Public Housing in Hong Kong
Authors: Yeh A G O
Published: October 2006

Hong Kong has one of the largest public housing programmes in the world, second to Singapore, with over 45% of the total population living in public housing. However, there are still a large number of people in need of housing assistance. A more efficient and equitable housing policy needs to be found. Public housing in Hong Kong is subsidized by the government mainly in the form of land, infrastructure, and low interest rates, but housing subsidy is not allocated to the most needy people. Some of the public housing is occupied by people who can take care of their own housing needs. Housing subsidies can be used more efficiently and equitably if these people are encouraged to move out of public housing or charged a more reasonable rent. The nature of horizontal and vertical inequity in housing subsidies in the public housing of Hong Kong is discussed and the effectiveness of some of the measures that have recently been used to tackle the problem of unfair housing subsidy is examined.
Regional Distribution of Industry and the Role of the State in Greece
Authors: Labrianidis L , Papamichos N
Published: October 2006

This paper is an examination of how state policies have influenced the spatial distribution of industry in Greece throughout the period after World War 2. The focus is only on those aspects of state policy that directly influence the spatial distribution of industry, that is regional policy, which was always orientated, in theory at least, towards the vague notion of the ‘more even’ regional development of the country. It is argued that state regional policies were not on the whole successful. The regional incentives system for industry in particular, which was the most important instrument of state regional policy, was quite inadequate, and, moreover, its cost to society increased steadily while its contribution towards a more even spatial distribution of industry was marginal. That is, the incentives system does not seem to have facilitated the regional reorganisation of industry in the sense of diminishing the spatial inequalities in the distribution of industrial activities. It was not ‘accidental’ that the regional incentives system, with its innate weaknesses and increasing cost, survived for so long, despite the fact that it was ineffective. Its survival can be explained in terms of the particular characteristics of Greek society, such as the predominance of the political over the economic sphere and the prevalence of clientelism in politics. In such a context the innate weaknesses of the incentives system allowed certain groups of people to enjoy economic benefits with noneconomic means.
Political Ideology and Housing Policy in Modern China
Authors: Lim G-C , Lee M-H
Published: October 2006

Despite a voluminous quantity of studies on Chinese politics, little is known about how Chinese political ideology has influenced policymaking. The formation and changes in housing policies are analyzed in light of shifting political ideology in the People's Republic of China, from the precommunization period through to Deng Xiao Ping's open door Policy. Political ideology in China functioned as a means of socialization early in Mao's rule, political struggle during the Cultural Revolution, and legitimization of economic and sectoral policies during the Open Door period.
Corporatism and ‘Political Context’ in the Federal Republic of Germany
Authors: Fuchs G , Koch A M
Published: October 2006

The corporatist-pluralist debate is explored as it applies to the Federal Republic of Germany. It is argued that the Federal Republic has an ‘accommodationalist’ political structure in which elements that resemble both corporatism and pluralism may be found. Corporatism and pluralism really explain two fundamentally different phenomenon. It is implicitly and explicitly argued that the mutual exclusivity of corporatism and pluralism, widely taken for granted in the literature, is more apparent than real. The apparent tension between the two models results from the epistemological parameters that are engaged in the process of model building. The empirical basis for the discussion stems from an in-depth analysis of present industrial policies.
Concepts of Equity, Fairness, and Justice in British Transport Legislation, 1960–88
Authors: Trinder E , Hay A , Dignan J , Else P , Skorupski J
Published: October 2006

Ten concepts of equity or justice are identified which might be applied in transport policy. A detailed examination of legislation and related debates in the United Kingdom reveals that most transport debate has been concentrated on issues of formal equality, particularly in relation to the burden of costs, and the meeting of basic needs in relation to transport provision. Equity considerations have become more prominent in transport policy over the period studied.
The Impact of the World Student Games on Sheffield
Authors: Foley P
Published: October 2006

Criticism of major events is not unusual. This criticism is often based more on a consideration of costs than on a balanced evaluation of the costs and benefits which a major event may provide. Opinions on the economic desirability of a major event often appear to be based on personal and political convictions rather than on a careful appraisal of the economic merits of an event. Obviously economic factors should not be the sole determinant of any decision to host or support a major event but careful economic analysis of these events could provide useful information for public debate. Many people have speculated about the impact which the World Student Games, to be held in Sheffield in July 1991, will have on the city. Key issues concerning the costs and benefits for Sheffield arising from the £173.8 million expected to be spent on the games are presented in this paper. Figures provided by Sheffield City Council, supported by studies completed at Sheffield University, suggest the games will directly create approximately 1980 jobs; 1650 in constructing facilities for the games and approximately 329 in management and administration. In total it is estimated the games will provide 6580 jobs in Sheffield and 11070 jobs in the Yorkshire and Humberside region (the regional figure includes local job creation). Local (Sheffield) job-generation costs for the games are approximately £24780 per job. This compares favourably with job-creation costs of £28760 which have been estimated for other construction-oriented initiatives in the United Kingdom. It must be remembered that, although the World Student Games are a one-off major event, Sheffield residents will have some of the best sporting facilities in Europe when the games are over. The promotion of the facilities to host other major sporting events is already under way.
Deprivation Payments to GPs: Not What the Doctor Ordered
Authors: Senior M L
Published: October 2006

The Department of Health's deprivation payment system for general practitioners (GPs) and its use of Professor Jarman's Underprivileged Area (UPA) index to define deprived areas are examined critically. It is shown that the statistical problem of differential skewness of the component variables plagues the construction of UPA scores and alternative indexes. In particular, this skewness distorts GPs' explicit weightings of the constituent variables of the UPA index. It is argued that the Department's current, stepped payment system requires a degree of precision and accuracy in measuring deprivation which is at odds with the quality both of the data and of the UPA index used. Furthermore, if the UPA index was replaced by the Townsend index, a substantial geographic redistribution of payments would occur, particularly benefiting Merseyside, the North East, and Humberside. It is recommended that the Department of Health adopt a tapered payment system consistent with the continuous gradation of area deprivation scores. An illustration of a scheme involving no additional public expenditure is given. Such a scheme may be more politically acceptable to the government if the payments to GPs are more accurately labelled ‘workload payments’.
Political Party Influence on Preschool Services in England, 1977–88
Authors: Hoggart K , Shrives E J R
Published: October 2006

Pinch, in 1987, concluded that changing patterns of preschool services in England from 1977 to 1983 revealed a pattern of improvement in metropolitan areas dominated by the new left and cuts in Conservative-dominated shire counties. In this paper it is argued that Pinch's approach was too simplistic, because he did not differentiate between private and public services, took little account of other determinants of service change, and too readily grasped the influence of the new left as a determining factor. In this paper service change from 1977 to 1988 is assessed and it is found that, although there were political party effects on provision levels and provision change, these were reflected in different responses to local socioeconomic conditions. Provision in Conservative councils was notably affected by local wealth differences, whereas services in Labour areas appeared to be more responsive to female employment and local occupational structures.
A Quantitative Approach to Process Evaluation: The Case of the Vermeend-Moor Act
Authors: de Koning J , van Nes P J
Published: October 2006

In this paper a wage-subsidy scheme for the long-term unemployed has been used to illustrate how the process-related aspects of an employment scheme can be quantified and related to the placement results. In the case of this scheme, the method of implementation appears to have a distinct effect on the results. By changing a demand-oriented approach to a more supply-oriented one, labour exchanges can raise their placement results by almost 40%. If all labour exchanges adopted a more supply-oriented approach, the average placement percentage would increase by about 10%. If, in addition, each labour exchange had one additional staff member to carry out the scheme, a 20% increase in total placements would occur.
A Quasi-Experimental Evaluation of the Vocational Training Centre for Adults
Authors: de Koning J , Koss M , Verkaik A
Published: October 2006

The Dutch Centre for (Administrative) Vocational Training for Adults is a school coming under the Ministry of Social Affairs and Employment, aiming primarily at giving unemployed persons a better chance of inclusion in the labour process by vocational training. An attempt has been made to check, by means of a quasi-experimental method with a control group, how far that aim is effectively attained. First several alternative methods to compose a control group are described. The experimental and nonexperimental approaches are compared and their advantages and disadvantages pointed out. Next, the choice of a quasi-experimental approach for the adult-training survey is justified. The execution and the results of the chosen approach are discussed.
Privatizing Government Service Delivery: Theory, Evidence, and Implications
Authors: Voytek K P
Published: October 2006

The growing dissatisfaction in many countries with the performance of the public sector in delivering goods and services has focused attention on ways to improve the quality of service delivery by the public sector. ‘Privatization’ is viewed as one way to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of delivering a variety of public goods and services. In this paper the theoretical rationale, empirical evidence, and implications of utilizing the private sector to deliver government services are examined. In addition, the ‘tools-of-government-action’ idea and the challenges it poses for public management and privatization proponents are looked at. The paper is concluded by the suggestion that a serious rethinking of conventional wisdom surrounding public management be undertaken and by a review of the issues raised by these alternative arrangements in terms of the standards of efficiency, equity, accountability, and authority.
Participation Ideologies in Israeli Planning
Authors: Gertel S , Law-Yone H
Published: October 2006

The issue of public participation in the planning process can be examined from the vantage point of the general ideological antecedents of planning ideas. Unfortunately, participation studies usually avoid the issue of ideology and planners tend to be unaware of or unwilling to acknowledge the role of ideology in planning practice. Even though the importance of ideology in Israel's development is often mentioned, studies of Israeli planning seldom include ideology in their models. This is true even for studies looking in particular at participation. In this paper several orientations towards the theme of participation, set within the Israeli context, are looked at. The orientations suggested as characteristic of the Israeli pattern of development are: Ad-hocism, clientelism, populism and kibbutz democracy. The ideological origins of these orientations are traced relative to the three major political camps. Next, these orientations are compared with the theoretical positions and prospects for ideological change. The aim in this paper is to help clarify some basic conceptual issues that may help in improving the professional contact between planner and public and perhaps provide the planner with some self-awareness and sense of responsibility.
Reconsidering Innovation Policy for Small and Medium Sized Enterprises: The Canadian Case
Authors: Britton J N H
Published: October 2006

The innovation process links technology generation with product commercialization, a connection involving a myriad of activities such as applied research, industrial design, and design for manufacture. The incremental aspects of innovation are defined and, with use of Canadian examples, situations are identified in which policy interventions may be justified because of unmet goals of national (or regional) industrial performance and because of knowledge-market imperfections encountered by small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs). Use is made of the concept of transaction costs to explain the problems some SMEs encounter in being innovative. Survey evidence confirms the theoretical arguments: Some successful SMEs establish input linkages with specialists but many more are impeded from establishing relevant contacts with consultants in the public and private producer services and with other manufacturers. The geographic and policy problem, therefore, becomes one of designing networks to assist the development of superior information connections by SMEs. The principles for policy design are discussed in the light of the theory used to identify market imperfections.
Socialist State Planning Reconsidered: Regional Policy in China, 1949–1989
Authors: Lai O-K , Lai T-K
Published: October 2006

In this paper regional policy in the People's Republic of China over the last four decades is critically reviewed. Particular attention is paid to the ideological and political dimensions, and their changes, as guided by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), which accompany the need to modernize China's underdeveloped economy. In part 1 of the paper the interpretations of the urban question, within the Marxist–Maoist school of thought, upon which the policy rationales and justifications are based, are outlined. Then, a two-part historical–contextual analysis of the regional policy and its development in China with a tentative schema is provided, that focuses on so-called ‘town–country’ contradictions and processes of urbanization and other spatial issues. Part 4 is a synthesis of the development pattern including a discussion of the underlying dynamics. The paper ends with remarks on the reemergence of ideological–political struggles within and beyond the party, and its repercussions for the urban question in the coming decade.
Agricultural Land-Use Policies and Rural Spatial Differentiation in Colonial and Postcolonial Zimbabwe
Authors: Rambanapasi C O
Published: October 2006

Agricultural development policies in colonial Zimbabwe were a specific outcome of the manner in which the country was colonised by British settlers from South Africa in 1890. The gold rush was the main motivation for colonisation of Zimbabwe and with its failure, agricultural land increased in value, which sparked off an unprecedented land scramble among the settlers which initiated the process of rural spatial differentiation.

Successive colonial governments pursued dual agricultural policies aimed at developing European commercial agriculture while simultaneously underdeveloping African subsistence agriculture through systematic disinvestment. The attempt by the postcolonial African government to reverse this dual agricultural policy failed because of a combination of factors including the Lancaster House constitutional guarantees for rights to private property and the African politicians' failure by default or design to achieve a substantive ideological turnabout.
UK Public Attitudes to Urban Traffic Problems and Possible Countermeasures: A Poll of Polls
Authors: Jones P M
Published: October 2006

Urban traffic congestion and the environmental and safety impacts of traffic now represent key political issues in many countries, and disputes over how they should be tackled have precipitated changes in national and local governments. Despite the rhetoric, however, few cities have yet taken firm action to control traffic. This inaction does not reflect a lack of suitable techniques and technologies so much as a concern over the degree of public support, either for the consequences of catering for the car (for example, housing demolition) or of restraining it. Twelve recent opinion surveys in the United Kingdom on public awareness of traffic-related problems and support for different solutions are examined. Despite differences in methodology, the overall findings are consistent and clear. These are presented and assessed, and the implications for urban transport policy are discussed.
Even Some Lump-Sum Grants Can Stimulate More Than others
Authors: Barnett R R , Levaggi R , Smith P
Published: October 2006

In this paper, it is shown that the institutional context within which lump-sum grants are given can be an important determinant of local (or state) government expenditure responses to such grants. By using the system of local government finance that operated in England until 1990 as a case study, it was shown that the two lump-sum components of the grant system can be predicted to stimulate substantially different expenditure effects. And this is so despite the fact that both of the grants are unconditional lump-sum grants. A model was developed and tested in which the differential expenditure effects are explicitly taken into account and this modelling exercise stands up well when tested against the empirical evidence.
Innovative Service Provision for the Elderly: A European Perspective
Authors: Nijkamp P , Rosdorff S , Wilderom C
Published: October 2006

In this paper, the major frictions that the twelve countries of the European Community face with regard to elderly care are enumerated and explained. The impact these frictions may have are briefly sketched as well as the type of innovations prompted, in part, by these frictions. Von Hippel's view on the emergence of innovation is being used to point out how Schumpeter's notion of ‘creative destruction’ can potentially enrich the European domain of public-services planning for the aged in the future.
Gatekeepers and Administrative Allocation of Goods under Socialism: An Alternative Perspective
Authors: Domański B
Published: October 2006

The focus of this paper is on characteristics of administrative allocation of social goods under East European socialism, including its peculiar unbureaucratic features and basic principles of allocation, as well as its significance for stratification of socialist societies. It is contended that institutions controlling access to various resources perform a ‘gatekeeping’ role in the state's allocation and constitute a key element of socialist mechanisms generating social and spatial differentiation. An example of gatekeepers operating in the domain of housing is given and a specific role of industrial gatekeepers is emphasized.
The Rise of Urban Growth Coalitions, UK-Style?
Authors: Harding A
Published: October 2006

The extent to which the period since the mid-1980s has seen the development, in UK towns and cities, of organisations comparable to the urban growth coalitions common to the USA is examined. The focus is particularly on property interests which are the dominant players in US coalitions. An attempt is first made to disaggregate the interests making up the UK property sector into its component parts. The growth-coalition concept, as applied in the USA, is then examined and brief comment made on the extent of its relevance for the contemporary United Kingdom. The third section is an examination of the key contextual factors which have triggered the development of UK variants of growth coalitions. Fourth, recent empirical work is drawn on to examine the part which various property interests have played and the strategic weight which is attached to property development in a number of recent UK public–private partnership organisations. Last, the implications for the process and impact of urban change are examined and it is asked whether the growth-coalition model, and the role of property within it, is likely to be an enduring feature of UK urban economic and political life through the 1990s.
The Changing Nature of Economic Development Activities: A Longitudinal Analysis of Local Authorities in Great Britain, 1981 to 1987
Authors: Sellgren J M A
Published: October 2006

In this paper the results are presented of research based upon two original surveys of local authorities. The manner in which changes have taken place in British local authority economic development activities is assessed. Data from questionnaires are supported by additional material drawn from secondary sources. The author seeks to indicate the changing take-up of economic development activities amongst a set of case-wise matched local authorities. A comparative assessment of the contemporary role being played by local authorities in economic development through a comprehensive assessment of policy measures is then presented. These analyses provide a much needed updating of research findings presented in 1986 by Mills and Young and a unique and systematic assessment of the manner in which these policies have been developed over time. The findings present a benchmark prior to the passing of the Local Government and Housing Act 1989 which provides a statutory power for local government to engage in economic development.
Successful Entrepreneurs and Their Problems in Starting New Businesses in Rural America: A Four-State Study
Authors: Buss T F , Popovich M G , Gemmel D
Published: October 2006

This study focuses on the problems encountered by rural entrepreneurs in starting successful new businesses. More than 1100 telephone interviews, representing scientific samples of start-up entrepreneurs in North Dakota, Maine, Arkansas, and Michigan provide data on what kinds of problems are encountered and who encountered them. Results show that characteristics of entrepreneurs and their firms did not explain problems in starting up. The results suggest that it will not be easy to target public or private technical assistance to particular groups, because their problems are not as unique as might be implied in the literature on entrepreneurship.
Meaning and Action in Local Economic Development Strategies: A Comparison of Policies in Britain and the United States
Authors: Meyer P B
Published: October 2006

Examinations and assessments of different countries' local economic development strategies have tended to overlook the very different rationales for such activity in diverse politicoeconomic cultures. Differences in the meanings ascribed to locality, to development, and to different programmatic partnerships—and in the divergent patterns of associated local actions—are studied by examining the metaphors used in the development policy literatures in Britain and the United States. The dominant UK metaphors are found to be control, coordination, and centralization, whereas those for the USA emerge as conflict, competition, and change. Enterprise Zones and Urban Development Corporations in the two countries are then examined for differences in practice, and it is concluded that differences in the societal and political meanings attributed to the two programs underscore the difficulties of cross-national transfer of development approaches.
Concepts of Equity, Fairness, and Justice Expressed by Local Transport Policymakers
Authors: Hay A , Trinder E
Published: October 2006

A study is reported of equity concepts held by local transport policymakers (planners and politicians) in sixteen local authorities in England. The study demonstrates that at this level the concepts most readily identified are those of formal equality and basic need. Differences between politicians and professionals and between two main political parties are found to be small. The results are compared with those of a similar study at national level.
Organised Interests and the European Internal Market
Authors: Greenwood J , Ronit K
Published: October 2006

Relationships between interest groups and the European Community have generally been regarded as more pluralist than neocorporatist in character. In part, this is because of a prevailing view of Euro interest associations as weak ‘federations of federations’, often unable to agree and act upon meaningful common positions. Evidence from the pharmaceutical industry suggests that such a blanket generalisation cannot be sustained, not least because of the commonality of regulatory experiences across member states, and prior experience of the industry in transnational political action. These have been reproduced at the EC level to the point of a Euro private interest government. There are, however, other forms of interest representation besides the ‘super federation’, and a cursory examination of one area—biotechnology—reveals the multiplicity of these. Of interest is that here it is the Euro organisations themselves rather than an aggregation of national concerns which have been of prime importance in engaging the European level, a feature of the development of biotechnology at a time of the enhanced competence of the EC in the shape of the Single European Act. This may suggest the pattern for the future in newly emerging arenas of industrial activity. Only one of the many Euro aggregations in biotechnology—a direct firm membership forum—has proved to be an effective interest outlet. What appears to be a challenge to the possibility of the existence of a neocorporatist structure through a Euro federation in fact shows the importance of Euro federations in the creation of appropriate transnational representational structures, which may develop reciprocal relationships with the Commission which are characteristic of neocorporatist patterns. The explanatory power of neocorporatist ideas in revealing the dynamics of completing the internal market should therefore not be dismissed.
Informal Local Taxation in Developing Countries
Authors: Prud'homme R
Published: October 2006

In this paper an attempt has been made to apply to the area of local taxation in developing countries the concept of ‘informality’ which has been so successfully utilized in other areas. Information taxation is defined as the mobilization of resources outside normal tax channels for the provision of public goods and services. A typology of informal taxes is offered that distinguishes between (1) ‘pinch’, (2) extortions, (3) requisitions, (4) contributions, (5) gifts, and (6) donations. In the case of Zaire, an order of magnitude of the importance of informal taxation is offered. A reassessment of the merit and demerits of informal taxation is then proposed.
New Directions in Decentralisation and Urban Policy in France: The Search for a Postdecentralisation State
Authors: Le Galès P
Published: October 2006

Decentralisation is back on the political agenda in France, associated with the Act prepared by the Ministre de l'Intérieur, Pierre Joxe. It is argued that the reform is, above all, about reorganising the State territorial services in order to match local dynamism. An attempt is made to define a new balance between local authorities and the State in order to deal with some current problems such as the university crisis and the consequences of the urban crisis.
The US Experience with Local Economic Development
Authors: Levy J M
Published: October 2006

In this paper the increasing intensity of intermunicipal and interstate economic competition in the USA is noted. It is argued that the federal structure of the USA, the present political climate, and the mobility of capital combine to produce a situation of positive feedback leading to everincreasing subsidies. The situation constitutes a classic prisoner's dilemma. Decreased competition would be in the interests of all units of government. However, there is no way that a state or local government can opt out of the competition unilaterally and no mechanism by which collective action can be taken to reduce the intensity of competition. Also considered in this paper are the aggregate effects of local economic development programs in terms of taxes and public expenditures, efficiency, and equity, and several less commonly discussed considerations.
Lessons from Canada's Housing R&D Experience
Authors: Hack G , Skaburskis A
Published: October 2006

In this paper the history of Canadian Housing R&D programs is reviewed and the strengths and weaknesses of these programs are assessed. Government programs that sought to promote innovation directly, subsidy programs for the private sector, and demonstration programs are looked at. Urban development projects as well as small-scale technological innovation dissemination efforts are considered, and the lessons that program administrators have gained from past programs and present guidelines for program design are presented.
The Health-Care State in Europe: Convergence or Divergence?
Authors: Moran M
Published: October 2006

The role of the state in the provision of health care in the capitalist states of Europe is examined along three dimensions: The extent to which states ensure medical treatment as a right of citizenship; the role they play in financing health care; and the part they play in the delivery of care. The evidence suggests that there are great variations in the scope and structure of the health-care state. Furthermore, states seem to be diverging from, rather than converging towards, each other.
Explaining the Extent of Local Economic Development Activity: Evidence from Canadian Cities
Authors: Reese L A
Published: October 2006

This paper is an attempt to explain economic development policies in Canadian cities by examining local fiscal health, intercity competition for development, the extent of professionalism in the economic development arena, and local governmental structure. Although these factors have been found to affect local economic development practices in the United States, the data presented here indicate that this is not the case in Canada. Only the amount of planning in economic development, the extent of citizen input, the presence of ward-based elections, and the extent to which decisions are left to professionals appear to influence economic development techniques practised in a city.
Special Interest Politics and the Crisis of Financial Institutions in the USA
Authors: MacDonald H I
Published: October 2006

The savings and loan bailout bill, the Financial Institutions Reform, Recovery and Enforcement Act of 1989 (FIRREA), marks the beginning of the post-Reagan era of reregulation. The traditional lobbying coalition of the housing and home-finance industries was too divided and defensive to shape the FIRREA legislation effectively. Congress and the Bush Administration were preoccupied with the financial and political crises raised by the collapse of the Federal Savings and Loan Insurance Company, and were unsympathetic to the lobbying efforts of industry. In this anti-special-interest atmosphere, consumer and affordable-housing advocates enjoyed surprising success. But the FIRREA legislation is being modified as it is implemented, and the durability of both populist and regulatory gains must be questioned.
Interstate Differentials in State and Local Business Taxation, 1971–86
Authors: Bania N , Calkins L N
Published: October 2006

A necessary step in addressing questions of business tax incidence or resource allocation is the development of adequate measures of interstate business tax differentials. Earlier work by Wheaton is extended and updated by the construction of new estimates of the aggregate state and local taxation of US business over the period 1971–86. The results suggest the following: First, the average level of business taxation by state and local governments is approximately 5% of net business income. Second, there appears to be substantial and increasing variation in the effective tax rate on businesses among the individual states. Third, the Northeast remains a place of significantly high tax burdens on businesses. And, last, certain states experience more variation in their effective tax rate over time—a phenomenon at least partly attributable to the effects of the business cycle on business income.
Goals for Restructuring Local Government Boundaries: Canadian Lessons
Authors: Skaburskis A
Published: October 2006

In this paper the goals that can be pursued by a senior government that is considering proposals for changing the size of local jurisdictions are examined. The process of change and the options the senior government may consider when facing conflicts raised by municipal incorporation, annexation, or amalgamation proposals are considered. This paper is about Canadian cities, but the discussion is based on literature drawing on insights and experience gained in Europe, the United States, and Australia as well as in Canada.
Canadian Provincial and US State Roles in Urban Planning and Development: A Study of London, Ontario, and St Cloud, Minnesota
Authors: Keating M , Mehrhoff A
Published: October 2006

US and Canadian cities face many of the same imperatives of competition for development and growth. Yet cultural differences and the role of higher level governments produce different outcomes. This is tested by examining two cities, London, Ontario, and St Cloud, Minnesota, chosen for their economic and demographic similarities. The Ontario provincial government is found to have a more substantial role in managing urban development issues than its Minnesota state counterpart. This reflects differing Canadian and US assumptions about the scope and purpose of government. Further paired comparisons are needed to assess the effect of other variables.
Beyond ‘1992’: The Evolution of European Community Policies towards the Automobile Industry
Authors: Sadler D
Published: October 2006

Two processes figured prominently on the European Community's policymaking agenda during the 1980s and into the early 1990s. These were the single internal market programme, and the economic challenge from Japan. The automobile industry was particularly closely involved in these, because of the extent of Japanese exports and direct foreign investment in the sector, and the range of national state interventions, most of which ran contrary to the ‘1992’ programme. In this paper therefore the issues which underpin the role of the industry in the drive to create a single internal market and to respond to the expansion of ‘transplant’ assembly capacity are considered first. The policies which have been adopted by the EC in this context are then examined, and the author goes on to identify the limitations upon the policies which have emerged. The paper concludes with reflection on the evident tensions between national state policies and those of the EC and argues that (partly because of these) the political debate has excessively concentrated upon the strategies of vehicle assemblers. This is unfortunate because it obscures the deeper implications of change for the automotive components industry where, it is suggested, there is greater scope for a more effective EC policy response.
The Geographical Incidence of Local Government Revenues: An Intraurban Case Study
Authors: Martin D , Longley P , Higgs G
Published: October 2006

The United Kingdom has experienced different local taxation regimes in each of the last three financial years: Namely the property-based household rates; the personal community charge or ‘poll tax’; and the hybridised personal community charge adjusted for neighbourhood ‘transitional relief’. The geographical impact of these changing policies in the Inner Areas of the City of Cardiff is examined, highlighting the importance of historical rateable values and household sizes. By using a purpose-built street-level database, the implications of the different taxation systems are examined at increasingly detailed geographic scales, and the complexity of their impact is illustrated. This analysis focuses upon the geographical effects of using administrative community boundaries for the allocation of transitional relief in Cardiff, Wales.
Regulatory Federalism in the European Community
Authors: Majone G
Published: October 2006

In this paper, the issue of the most efficient allocation of regulatory responsibilities among the subnational, national, and European Community (EC) levels of government is addressed. The most obvious impact of EC regulations on national and subnational policies is a transfer of legislative competences to the EC, as the principle of supremacy of EC law bars member states from passing laws inconsistent with the relevant EC legislation. There are less obvious but no less important ways in which EC regulations influence the political process in the member states. Thus, the process of implementation of EC regulations at the national level has led to an increase in the rule-making powers of the member states' executives and a corresponding weakening of the role of the national parliaments. Also, the relationship between central and subnational governments is significantly affected, especially in countries with a federal or regional structure. It is argued that, despite the theoretical and political appeal of decentralization in a community of nations as varied as in the EC, many regulatory powers will have to be surrendered by the national governments after completion of the internal market. The dilemma of regulatory federalism is that, although local governments are more attuned to individual tastes, they are also unlikely to make a clean separation between the provision of public goods for their citizens and engaging in policies designed to the advantage of the locality at the expense of its neighbours. Because the integrated European market is such a new creation, the threat posed by the strategic use of regulation to the advantage of one jurisdiction at the expense of other jurisdictions is probably more serious than the danger of excessive and inefficient uniformity. It is also important to keep in mind that the optimal assignment of regulatory responsibilities between different levels of government does not have to coincide with existing national boundaries. There may be significant externalities and a need for coordination between some, but not all, regions within a country or group of countries. A model which deserves particular attention in this context is that of consortia or ‘compacts’ among several states, or regions within different states, sharing similar problems.
The Use and Interpretation of Tenant Satisfaction Surveys in British Social Housing
Authors: Satsangi M , Kearns A
Published: October 2006

The meaning and contemporary relevance of consumer satisfaction with reference to the evolution of British social housing is examined. The increasingly widespread usage of satisfaction surveys, the satisfaction score being deemed an indicator of organisational success or effectiveness, is noted. Within the context of British political parties' penchant for citizens' charters, the survey has been seen too as a means of improving the quality of service delivery. At the same time as this, the satisfaction survey has been heralded as an effective means of listening to consumers, and thus as a necessary component of organisations becoming more demand-responsive. Empirical and theoretical work leads to doubt whether the satisfaction score can form a hardy base for these claims.
Labour Market Segmentation, Flexibility, and Recession: A British Columbian Case Study
Authors: Hayter R , Barnes T J
Published: October 2006

The purpose in this paper is to examine theories of labour market segmentation within the context of the early 1980s recession, and its immediate aftermath, in British Columbia, Canada. In particular, the conclusions are based on a large sample of firms in the manufacturing, wholesale, and producer service sectors for the period 1981–86. The paper is divided into four parts: First is a review of Doeringer's and Piore's classic presentation of segmentation theory focusing on the Fordist firm, and a comparison of it with more recent statements on labour markets made by Atkinson in connection with his work on the flexible firm. Second is a brief description of the recent changes affecting the economy in British Columbia over the last decade or so. Third, employment change and labour segmentation are examined in terms of occupational, gender, and industry characteristics for manufacturing, wholesaling, and producer service sectors in British Columbia. Last, given that the authors's evidence is in terms of aggregate trends, the fourth section provides three case studies, one drawn from each sector.
Industrial Policy in a Period of Organisational and Institutional Change: The Case of Inward Investment and the Electronics Sector
Authors: Pratt A C , Totterdill P
Published: October 2006

The authors argue that two complementary elements of policy formulation have become dislocated: The actual changes occurring in the organisation of industry, and changes in the mode of policy production. This dislocation presents a variety of possibilities for new modes of policy production. The significance of the whole process of the production of industrial policy is stressed: the selection of the object of policy, the institutions of policy formation and delivery, and the organisation of work and the distribution of skills within such institutions. The nature of the innovative and creative institutional responses that will be required to avoid further industrial decline are discussed.
Setting up in Silicon Glen: Inward Investment and Implications for Spin-off and Supplier Linkages
Authors: McCalman J
Published: October 2006

In this paper the current state of development in the electronics industry and the impact that foreign investment has on peripheral economies are examined. With the Scottish electronics industry as an example, the likely impact on the growth of indigenous firms from Japanese and US investment is explored. The author argues in favour of a more direct policy role for government in assisting the establishment of growth in spin-off indigenous firms from the foreign subsidiary base currently present in the Scottish electronics industry.
The Effects of Unemployment on Voting in British Elections: A New Specification of a Political-Economic Model of Constituency Voting
Authors: Gibson J G
Published: October 2006

It is argued that the view put forward by some analysts that unemployment had little or no effect on constituency results in the 1987 British general election is faulty. It rests on the failure to develop a satisfactory specification of the effects of unemployment, a problem which was also inherent in studies of previous British elections. A suggested new specification is tested and it indicates that changes in unemployment between 1983 and 1987 both at constituency and at regional level had a quite substantial effect on voting shifts in constituencies in 1987.
Public and Private Sectors in the Delivery of Public Infrastructure: The Case of the Channel Tunnel from an International Perspective
Authors: Marcou G
Published: October 2006

The Channel Tunnel case exemplifies both the present tendency towards a greater involvement of the private sector in the delivery of public infrastructures, and the new possibilities for funding that are a result of the internationalisation of finance markets and banking activities. But it shows also the limits of this change. As a private venture, the Channel Tunnel is heavily dependent on a series of public-sector decisions which have had a great influence on its funding. The profitability of the investment is dependent upon huge, public investments in which spending on the Channel Tunnel is only a small part. The finance had to be helped by various political interventions which make the possibility of a nonguaranty commitment for both the French and the UK government doubtful. On the other hand, the banks proved unable to secure a tight control on the costs, which will have almost doubled when the Tunnel is in operation. The division between the governments and the concessionaires makes unclear the division of responsibilities with regard to the contractors; the division between the concessionaires and the contractors makes it unclear where government responsibility lies for the work.
Japanese Inward Investment in the Northeast of England: Reassessing ‘Japanisation’
Authors: Peck F , Stone I
Published: October 2006

The notion of ‘Japanisation’ is evaluated by examining the relationship between nationality and the adoption of particular kinds of managerial and work practices amongst inward investors in northeast England. Information is derived from an extensive postal questionnaire survey followed by a more intensive qualitative survey of inward investor plants. The postal survey shows that the new practices have been widely adopted in plants of all nationalities, although rates of adoption are higher for the Far Eastern group. The in-depth interviews reveal, however, that there are important variations in the ways in which these new practices are applied. It is argued that these variations cannot be understood in terms of ‘nationality’. Rather, they are associated with differences in production processes and the segmentation of labour based on gender, age, and skill. In the light of these findings, the significance of the term ‘Japanisation’ for regions and regional policy is considered.
Foreign Debt in the New East-Central Europe: A Threat to European Integration?
Authors: Gibb R A , Michalak W Z
Published: October 2006

East-Central Europe (Hungary, Poland, and Czechoslovakia—ECE) is one of the least known parts of the world in English-language geography. In spite of its proximity to Western Europe and the European Community (EC) it has received a very modest amount of attention from English-speaking geographers compared with that from German-speaking and French-speaking colleagues. Studies of political and economic geography of the ECE are also hampered by the lack of appropriate methodology and theory. Some of the most important issues involved lie in the economic sphere of transition from a centrally planned economy to a market economy. In the current paper, an attempt is made to survey and evaluate the size and character of existing debt stocks owed to the West by ECE and then to assess their likely impact on the political and economic geography of Europe and the EC. It is concluded that the international financial community is making it politically difficult for the countries in the region to persist with their structural reforms and stabilization policies. The future political and economic geography of ECE and EC depends, to a large extent, on the ability of the Western financial system to respond to the long-term needs of the region.