Central Government Policy Research Articles

Exploring the politicisation and territorialisation of adult social care in the United Kingdom: Electoral discourse analysis of state-wide and meso elections 1998–2019

In the face of a global demographic shift, an aging population and a ‘crisis’ in adult social care (ASC), this study analyses over 3000 pledges on ASC in political parties’ manifesto discourse following the United Kingdom’s move to a multi-level electoral politics in 1998/1999. Although often overlooked, attention to this formative phase of social policy-making reveals the discursive political antecedents of welfare interventions. The analysis shows a major increase in issue-salience and party politicisation of ASC policy. The discourse reveals political cleavages on welfare mixes and policy framing, and sub-state resistance to central government policies. Against the backdrop of the international rise of devolved governance, the present case is of wider international significance because it illustrates how the transition from state-wide to (quasi-)federal electoral practices gives rise to new territorial dynamics in the electoral discourse of welfare provision; in turn, promoting territorialisation, pressure for welfare state expansion and the rise of ‘sub-state’ welfare regimes.

Critical Reflections on Fund Distribution in Malaysian Schools

The objective of this study is to provide critical reflections on teachers’ awareness and participation in sourcing and allocating funds for school operations in Malaysia. A survey of 118 teachers was conducted to obtain the teachers’ perspectives on the funding process. The perspectives were used as basis for critical reflections on the funding process in Malaysian schools. A theoretical framework comprising of stakeholder and intellectual capital theories was adopted to interpret the perspectives of the teachers. The survey revealed that only 9.3% (11/118) of the teachers had ample knowledge of the funding process, 32.2% (38 / 118) had very little knowledge and the remaining 58.47% (69) had no knowledge of the process. The survey also show that teachers and school administrators lack understanding of the central government's policies on fund allocation to schools. The majority of the respondents agree that knowledge of sources and application of funds will help teachers to construct instructional planning that would enhance teaching and learning. The teachers believe that improvements at each of the school's preliminary meetings as well as the school budget committee meeting should be presented to encourage teachers to plan their annual lesson plans by incorporating elements of creativity and innovation in their teaching and learning process. The theoretical implication of our study highlights that teachers being one of the key stakeholders contribute to the intellectual capital, which is a key feature financial management and accountability of source and application of school funds. Hence, we argue that developments in teachers’ awareness and participation in the funding process would enhance the core intellectual capital of schools.

The Complexity of Drug Consumption Room Policy and Progress in Finland

Drug consumption rooms (DCRs) have been established to reach high-risk people who use drugs (PWUDs) and reduce drug-associated harm. Despite effectiveness, their establishment requires strong advocacy and efforts since moral perspectives tend to prevail over health outcomes in many countries. DCRs have generally emerged as a local response to inadequate central government policy. Likewise, the initiative of the Municipality of Helsinki in 2018 opened up a discussion between central government, society, and local actors in Finland. This would be the first DCR in Finland, which makes the policy process and the progress of the initiative interesting for analysis. In this article, the identification of agents, structures of interactions, environmental challenges, and policy opportunities are analyzed within the framework of complexity theory. Our results show that the initiative faces policy barriers that have mainly arisen from the conceptualization of DCRs in moral frameworks that result in the prolongation of political and professional actors to take a position on DCRs.

Quasi-trustees, unauthorised purposes and ethical investment: What is the significance of the R (Palestine Solidarity Campaign Ltd & Anor) v Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government [2020] UKSC 16 case for the trustees’ fiduciary duty of investment and “ethical” investment opportunities?

Abstract This case analysis concerns the decision of the UK Supreme Court in R (Palestine Solidarity Campaign Ltd & Anor) v Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, which determines whether guidance issued by the Secretary of State was ultra vires. The guidance confined the administration of a local government pension scheme in respect to “ethical” investments deemed contrary to central government policy. The outcome of the decision is significant for its acknowledgment of the overriding importance of the trustees’ fiduciary duty of investment, together with being contemporaneous with the current trend for “ESG” considerations in the economic markets.

Research watch: exclusion and health inequality in England and what can be done to reverse it – discussing the Marmot review 10 years on

PurposeThis paper aims to summarise key messages from a major evidence review of health inequality in England since 2010 – “the Marmot Review 10 Years on”.Design/methodology/approachAlongside “the Marmot Review 10 Years on”, which came out in February 2020, the author accessed the original Marmot review published in 2010, a 2020 article by Marmot, and Marmot’s online talk to the Royal Society of Physicians Edinburgh on 2nd of July 2020. The author drew out key messages from these sources.FindingsAlthough many local authorities have taken up the 2010 Marmot review recommendations, they have been working against budget cuts under the system known as austerity. This has reduced funding to already deprived areas and probably explains worsened health inequality in England compared to other European countries. There are examples of successful local partnerships that have improved lives, but they rely on temporary charity funding. Health services can work for change locally, but central government policies must help. This has become even more urgent since the pandemic.Originality/valueThe original Marmot review and “the Marmot Review 10 Years on” are major evidence-based examinations of what causes and maintains health inequality, both physical and mental, and how this situation might be improved. It is impossible to study them and still believe that health is just about lifestyle choices. People need real options to choose from, and this is only possible if they live in places designed for human thriving from childhood to old age. As a nation, England can move towards this goal rather than further away from it. These reports show the way.

Taxation and the stagnation of cotton exports in Brazil, 1800–60†

AbstractBrazil's northern region supplied 40 per cent of the cotton imported into Liverpool during the last decade of the eighteenth century. In the following decades, however, cotton exports stagnated, and Brazil became the only major international cotton producer that decreased its exports to European countries. This article shows that the fiscal policies of Brazil's central government had a significant role on the decline of cotton exports. The central government set export taxes to maximize revenue from higher‐quality long‐staple cotton, decreasing the profitability of short staples, which saw the largest increase in demand during the nineteenth century.

Artificial Intelligence in Local Government: Enabling Artificial Intelligence for Good Governance in UK Local Authorities

Local governments face increased challenges providing services to their communities, especially in light of austerity, shifting central government policies that impact local responsibilities, changing demographics, and diverse resident needs. UK local authorities are exploring the use of artificial intelligence (AI) to fully or partially automate tasks or support their frontline workers to deliver services more efficiently and effectively. While there have been a number of successful projects related to back-office automation, predictive analytics for decision support, or the use of chatbots for interactions with residents, little is known about the practical challenges that local authorities face in making these projects realities. This briefing note synthesizes academic, grey, and journalistic literature to identify the key practical challenges that local authorities face when collaborating with industry or striking out on their own. Analysis based on this synthesis of the literature led to a set of findings indicating that local authorities are faced with three key challenges and three key enablers. In terms of challenges, local authorities need to both get their data in order and clearly define problems before seeking information technology (IT) solutions. The third challenge is when suppliers lack contextual knowledge about the local authority, its processes, its residents, and the way it carries out its services, which may require local authorities to take products that are not fit for purpose and modify them to align with their work. In terms of the three enablers, local authorities benefit from in-house capacity, opportunities for collaboration, and project transparency. The findings suggest that some foundational governance arrangements need to be in place both locally and nationally before AI technologies can realise benefits for good governance. More specifically, this briefing note proposes that the following measures are necessary for the implementation of artificial intelligence for good governance in the UK: ▪ Minimum mandatory data standards and dedicated resources for the maintenance of data quality. ▪ Minimum mandatory guidance for problem definition and project progress monitoring. ▪ Minimum mandatory supplier standards and flexible procurement to avoid lock-in and align projects with local context. ▪ Dedicated resources to ensure that local authorities can be intelligent consumers and capable developers of AI. ▪ A formal mechanism for collaboration across all local authorities and with the third sector (e.g., universities and non-profit organisations). ▪ A platform to compile all relevant information about information technology projects in local authorities.

THE IMPLEMENTATION OF RESTRUCTURING PROGRAM AND ACTIVITIES BASED ON THE MONEY FOLLOW PROGRAM IN REGIONS

The current planning and budgeting paradigm has changed from money follows function into money follows program but this paradigm is considered to not provide clear and concrete benefits. Likewise, the implementation of the money follows program was still problematic, such as program restructuring and problematic activities. Based on these problems, the purpose of this study is to determine the implementation of restructuring programs and activities of local governments and the factors that support and hinder the implementation of restructuring programs and activities in local governments since the enactment of the money follows program. The method used in this study is a descriptive method with a qualitative approach. The results show that programs and activities planned by using the money follow program approach have been implemented in several locus study areas (West Sumatra Province, West Java Province, and Yogyakarta Province). However, the implementation still varies. There are still doubts for the regions in the implementation, especially because it is related to the legal basis. Likewise, there are several inhibiting factors such as human resources, policy substance, implementer behavior, and network interactions. For this reason, the study concludes that it is necessary to make adjustments to the central government policies related to regional development planning guidelines and budget allocation.

Pension funds, quasi-trustees and statutory guidance

Abstract In an important decision for public law, the Supreme Court has ruled that ministerial guidance, given to administering authorities to oversee investment of Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS) funds on how to discharge their powers, is unlawful. All five judges accepted that administering authorities owe “quasi-trustee” duties to LGPS members (in the area of investment) and that, as the law stands, the Secretary of State’s powers are limited by these overriding duties. However, only three judges accepted that the Public Service Pensions Act 2013 did not allow central government policy to be “imposed” on LGPS funds. The two dissenting judges stated that the public interest component of the 2013 Act was significant, and, under certain circumstances, central government could legitimately seek to align LGPS fund investment with government policy. The consequence of the ruling is that the Government will not be able to interfere in the ethical investment decisions of LGPS and their members, and the principle from the Padfield case that a discretionary power granted in legislation can never be completely unfettered and must be exercised in accordance with the purpose of the legislation has been upheld.

Synergy of Central and Regional Government Policies to Entrepreneurs to Revive the National Economy in the New Normal Era

This research is motivated by the phenomenan of Covid-19 pandemic has resulted in a decline in business income, but the implementation of the new normal policy revives a hope, so that in this case the policy efforts of the central and regional governments to revive the national economy in this new normal era is very needed. The purpose of this study is to analyse the synergy between central and regional government policies to entrepreneurs to revive the national economy in the new normal era. The study was designed in normative legal research with the statute approach, and conceptual approach. As a result showed that in the synergy of the central and regional government policies with entrepreneurs to revive the national economy in the new normal era, was realized through the providing Covid-19 impact stimulus, pouring out market operations, activating food houses, involving entrepreneurs in various Regional government spending, and providing economic stimulus for businessman.

Changes in Air Quality during the First-Level Response to the Covid-19 Pandemic in Shanghai Municipality, China

Ongoing rapid urban population growth world-wide has led to serious environmental problems that affect ecosystems and also lower the security and happiness of urban residents about their living environment. The most frequently reported negative impact is a deterioration in urban air quality. In this study, we performed a comprehensive assessment of the effects of the city lockdown policy in response to Covid-19 on air quality in Shanghai Municipality, China, and sought to identify a balance point between human activities and improving air quality. The first-level response (FLR) by Shanghai to control the spread of Covid-19 was to launch a lockdown, which remained in place from 24 January to 23 March, 2020. We compared airborne pollutant concentrations in different regions (downtown, suburbs) of Shanghai city in three periods (Pre-FLR, During-FLR, and Post-FLR) and in the corresponding periods in the previous year. The results showed that air quality improved significantly During-FLR compared with Pre-FLR, with the concentrations of PM2.5, PM10, SO2, NO2, and CO all decreasing significantly. The concentrations of all pollutants except O3 also decreased significantly compared with the same period in the previous year. There were also some differences in pollutant concentrations between the downtown region and the suburbs of Shanghai. However, we found that the concentrations of pollutants rebounded gradually when the restrictions on human activities ended after two months of lockdown. This study provides empirical evidence of the important effect of limiting human activities on air quality. For sustainable and clean future urban management in Shanghai and beyond, central government policy regulations requiring a low-carbon lifestyle and cleaner production in industries should be established.

The Sosio-Economic Impact of Covid-19 Pandemic in Lhokseumawe City

AbstractIn the midst of government preventive efforts to implement health protocols, public activities of the Lhokseumawe City are still running normally. Whereas based on theory and former studies, the outbreak of Covid-19 caused social and economic changes has affected activities of people around the world. Using descriptive qualitative method, this study aims to analyze how the impact of local government policies to the socio-economy activities of the Lhokseumawe people and what factors influenced the response of Acehnese in the pandemic situation. Data were obtained through interview, observation to the public area, and library research on the impact of the pandemic to the society. It examines that Lhokseumawe City government policies such as imposing curfews, prohibiting gatherings in Cafe and social distancing have received less response from the public. Community activities in trading, worshiping and social interaction tend not to be affected by information on the highly spreading of Covid-19 in this city. However, school and office activities relatively follow Central Government policies. The response of the Lhokseumawe people is based on their belief that the virus is a creation of God and the pandemic situation reminds them to further increase their worship and not to be afraid to carry out normal activities. Even if they die, it is part of their destiny. Thus, the results of the study provide support for local governments to increase cooperation with Ulama in providing education to the public, increasing literacy for the spread of Covid-19, and the possibility of applying legal sanctions.

Multifunctional agriculture: Policies and implementation in China

AbstractMultifunctional agriculture (MFA) has been supported in the European Union (EU) for over two decades, primarily as part of rural development policy in which agriculture is encouraged to deliver a range of economic, social and environmental outcomes. MFA has also grown in some countries without significant policy support, notably in peri‐urban fringes in North America and Australasia. Further expansion of this phenomenon is now apparent in China under strong central government policy directives from the early 2000s. Drawing upon a decade of studies of MFA in China, this paper examines some of the responses to various related policy initiatives, including major programs, such as Grain for Green, which have encouraged farmers to generate environmental services. It also refers to the scope for individual farm households to take initiatives leading to MFA via adoption of multiple functions on smallholdings (e.g., rural tourism, food processing). Various interpretations of MFA are explored, with a focus on how central government policy directives have driven take‐up of various MFA‐related initiatives.

Evolution of environmental policy for China's rare earths: Comparing central and local government policies

Rare earths (REs) are important critical mineral resources in China and play an important and irreplaceable role in social and economic development. However, REs production is associated with serious environmental pollution problems. As a major producer, China has introduced a series of environmental policies from the central and local governments for the environmental pollution caused by REs production, and many policy tools have been used to rectify these environmental issues. In this study, a content analysis method is used to investigate the structure and function of China's environmental policy for REs based on policy tool theory. The results show that an increase in level has occurred from local policy to the comprehensive policy of the central government. In terms of policy tools for REs, the central and local governments use basically the same types of mandatory and direct-provision command-control tools, while economic incentive and social autonomy tools are considered supplementary. The policy tools involve all aspects of the REs value chain but mainly affect mining and smelting processes. The local governments of provinces with serious environmental problems tend to adopt more command-control types of tools, while provinces with more-developed economies tend to use more flexible economic incentive tools. Moreover, provinces with stronger demand for technological development and industrial transformation tend to use economic incentive policy tools. Based on the historical development trends of existing policy tools, our study predicts that command-control tools will continue to be the main types of tools used for the environmental regulation of REs over the next 10 years and that the use of financial expenditure and tax tools will increase. In addition, property exchange and private market tools will gradually be applied.

The Price Elasticity of Cigarettes: New Evidence From Spanish Regions, 2002-2016.

There is an agreement in the literature that tobacco price elasticity is around -0.4 for given location. Furthermore, works only focus separately, on the temporal dimension or the spatial dimension, however, there are studies that show the existence of spillovers between different geographical areas due to the spatial dependence in tobacco consumption. The novelty of this study is the measurement of the effect that neighboring regions have on the price elasticity of cigarettes. This study simultaneously analyzed, first, a dynamic spatial model used to measure the price elasticity of cigarettes in the short term and long term of the 47 provinces that make up the Spanish territory, detailing the influence of neighbors. Second, given the spatial arrangement of the elasticities observed in the provinces, we can detect behaviors typical of large-scale illicit trade and cross-border purchasing since geographical location can be an important factor in smuggling, and politicians should take this into account when making price policies. Results reveal that the consumption of the regions is influenced by the consumption of the neighboring regions in the same period. The price elasticity of cigarettes in the long term exceeds in many cases, in absolute value, unity. This result is novel because tobacco has historically been treated as an inelastic demand good. Finally, we found that the regions that are most sensitive to price are those bordering France and Gibraltar or tourist regions, demonstrating the effect that smuggling has on the behavior of the regions. These results are important because the price in Spain is set by the central government and fiscal policies regarding the price of tobacco can have different effects in different regions. This study has shown that the consumption of cigarettes is influenced by the neighboring regions and also measured different sensitivities for each region. Regional cooperation in tobacco control policies may have better effects than the elaborated policies based on historical information. Policy makers should consider that tobacco could be an elastic good in the long term and that cooperation between countries in terms of price differential should be taken to avoid tobacco smuggling. The allocation of resources to control smoking should consider the special dependence shown in this report. Also, academics should account for spatial dependence to measure tobacco consumption instead of temporal analysis.

Central Bank and Government Policy Measures during COVID-19: An Assessment

Central Bank and Government Policy Measures during COVID-19: An Assessment

Implikasi Penetapan Wilayah Pusat Pertumbuhan Industri Terhadap Penggunaan Lahan Di Kabupaten Majalengka

Regional development in Indonesia has rapid progress along with the central government's policies in equitable development. Global phenomenon to encourage equitable regional development, each country takes the initiative to develop industrial cluster policies. This study aims to analyze implications of determination a growth centre of industrial region to land use changes. Output of this study expected identify how many area implicated to land use changes and land conversion that occur. This study is located in Majalengka Regency as one of growth centre of industrial region . The method used in this study is the LULC Method (Land Use Land Changes) and Overlay (Georeferencing) Method. The result shows determination growth centre of industrial region have implications in land use changes. The implication in the form of considerable land conversion. This implication occurs in locations that are designated as industrial growth centers and around these locations. In addition, the implications of determination growth centre of industrial region are in the form of expansion of land to surrounding industrial areas.

Analisis Penetapan Beban Kerja Guru BK di Kota Palembang

The success of an educational institution integrates the performance of each individual conducting organizational activity. Guidance and counseling are part of the activities that are running in the educational institutions. Legally there are some regulations governing workload assignments for school counselors, but in reality the many divisions of assignments given to school counselors are disproportionate. This research aims to present data and factual analysis of workload assignment for school counselors in Palembang. Research using quantitative design, with survey method, to 20 school counsellors in MGBK Palembang. The results showed that 70% of school counsellors gained equal 24-hour students ' equivalence to the national regulation. But in the provision of assignments, school counselors are much busy with administrative affairs. Therefore, coordination and consultation functions between school counselors, school principals, and supervisors need to be addressed in order to provide the main tasks and functions of school counselors more optimally in serving the students and in accordance with the central government policy contained in the Ministry regulations.

Fiscal Sustainability and Municipal Amalgamations in Japan

In Japan, the so-called “Great Heisei Amalgamations” were executed over the period from 1999 to 2010. During this time the number of municipalities decreased from 3,232 to 1,727. Some of the extant literature suggests that the reduction of local allocation tax (LAT) grants to smaller municipalities had provided a strong incentive for the voluntary amalgamations. In this study, through empirical analysis of a seven-year panel of rich financial data, the factors salient to these voluntary municipal amalgamations are considered from the perspective of participating local governments. The results demonstrate that fiscal unsustainability, which was largely caused by central government policies, was the main motivation for municipalities with low financial capabilities to amalgamate.

Raising Local Fiscal Autonomy in the Local Autonomy Management (A Study in Bogor Regency)

Local fiscal autonomy of Bogor Regency is still low, due to the low contribution of local own revenue to total local revenues. This fact has implications for the high local financial dependence on fiscal transfer from the central government, so that the Bogor Regency government is not yet autonomous in financing local development programs. This research aims to obtain rational knowledge about the effects of fiscal decentralization implementation and indirect local tax management on local fiscal autonomy. The research used a descriptive method with a qualitative approach, so that it can explain data and information obtained from observation, interview, and focus group discussion. The research concludes that the prospect of raising local fiscal autonomy is determined by the accuracy of fiscal decentralization implementation and the effectiveness of indirect local tax management. The accuracy of fiscal decentralization implementation requires the central government policy in the assignment of taxes and revenue sources to local government must be commensurate with the assignment of expenditure responsibilities to local government. The effectiveness of indirect local tax management requires that local government efforts to increase indirect local tax revenues must precisely determine the increase of revenue targets according to the results of econometric analysis of Gross Domestic Regional Product (GDRP) on certain sectors, improving the ability of local tax apparatus, and improving the obedience of indirect local taxpayer.