Centralization Of Governance Research Articles

The participatory budgeting and the collaborative governance movement at the Hungarian local government level

This paper aims to provide a comprehensive analysis of participatory budgeting (PB) practices in Hungary by exploring the experiences of three local governments. The research specifically investigates the environmental conditions conducive to PB adoption, internal organizational factors influencing its success and the short- and long-term outcomes of the process. Although in well-developed democracies attributed with active local communities has a long tradition in participation and cooperation between government and citizens, the Hungarian context offers a unique examination of participatory budgeting (PB) due to the developing civil sector and historical mistrust between government and civil society. However, in the context of increasing governmental centralization, local initiatives advocating for citizen-driven budgets are emerging. This research explores the feasibility of implementing participatory budgeting in this challenging environment. The interplay of a fledgling civil sector, entrenched scepticism, and centralization provides a distinctive backdrop for understanding PB dynamics in Hungary.

Expansion and Restriction: Divergent Paths Towards Modernizing Family Laws in Japan and China, 1868–1930

Abstract Before their encounters with Western powers in the nineteenth century, Chinese and Japanese societies were deeply embedded in traditional family systems that formed the backbone of their social structures. However, with the onset of legal modernization, these nations adopted nearly diametrically opposed strategies for reforming their customary family laws. Primarily, Japanese legal reformers under the Meiji regime bolstered the family’s authority and emphasized its political role. In stark contrast, the Chinese legal reformers during the late Qing and Republican periods curtailed family authority and diminished its significance. While the modernization of family laws in Japan and China has been the subject of scholarly research respectively, the differences between the two countries and the reasons behind their distinct approaches have not been adequately explored. This Article seeks to fill this gap. Through a comparative analysis of the legislative histories of both countries, this Article argues that their divergent paths stemmed from differences in the historical functions of family systems and the modern political contexts encountered by legal reformers during the period of legal modernization. In Japan, the family system was historically politically connected with the state, and the Meiji regime solidified its control over this system through modern codification efforts. Consequently, Meiji political elites saw the integration of the populace into the new absolutist imperial regime as advantageous, leveraging the political loyalty of families to achieve this. In contrast, the Chinese family system had become politically disconnected from the state by the late imperial era. In the aftermath of the Republican Revolution, the Guomindang regime navigated a landscape of rival political forces that significantly challenged its authority. Political elites aimed to dismantle customary family laws to weaken the traditional family system, which they viewed as a threat to governmental centralization and societal unity. They also sought to project a modern, liberal image to garner wider political support.

The agricultural decision process in a small tank cascade system in Sri Lanka: diagnosing options for adaptive governance

Small Tank Cascade Systems (STCS) are interconnected small reservoirs constructed in shallow valleys in the dry zone of Sri Lanka. STCS have assumed heightened significance for their potential contribution to climate adaptation of agricultural systems. Local communities managed STCS to store water by capturing seasonal rain and cultivating crops that suited local conditions over millennia. The British colonial centralisation of STCS governance led to the degradation and deterioration of STCS. Contemporary water governance literature identifies STCSs as complex multifunctional systems. Adaptive co-management (ACM) approaches can reconcile complex resource governance issues by combining co-management with co-governance. We studied Palugaswewa STCS in North Central Sri Lanka to explore farmer and government officials' views, perceptions, knowledge, and experiences about agricultural decision-making including current governance, issues, and proposed improvements seeking evidence for ACM in practice. We interviewed eleven farmers and four extension officials selected from the analysis preceding this research. Our results show that an informal decision process (pre-cultivation meeting) precedes and informs the formal decision process (cultivation meeting), farmers use their collective knowledge and experience to anticipate seasonal weather and plan cultivation, and government officials facilitate a community-led decision process with institutional limitations. We concluded that the informal process compensates for the lack of timely meteorological information, allows space for sharing and co-development of knowledge and facilitates ACM. Future governance interventions in STCS need to recognise informal processes that drive decision-making, provide timely user-centred meteorological information, and rethink legal frameworks at local and national levels to provide flexibility for local farmers.

Singapore's COVID-19 crisis decision-making through centralization, legitimacy, and agility: an empirical analysis

Decision-making during health crises differs from routine decision-making and is constrained by ambiguity about evolving epidemiological situations, urgency of response, lack of evidence, and fear. Recent analyses of governance and decision-making during COVID-19, focusing on leadership qualities, involvement of specific stakeholders, and effective resource management, do not adequately address a persisting gap in understanding the determinants of decision-making during health crises at the national level. We undertook a study to understand the processes and characteristics of decision-making during the COVID-19 pandemic in Singapore. We used a case study approach and collected empirical evidence about public health decision-making, using a combination of key informant interviews and focus group discussions with stakeholders from government, academia and civil society organizations. We argue that administrative centralization and political legitimacy played important roles in agile governance and decision-making during the pandemic in Singapore. We demonstrate the role of the Singapore government's centralization in creating a unified and coherent governance model for emergency response and the People's Action Party's (PAP) legitimacy in facilitating people's trust in the government. Health system resilience and financial reserves further facilitated an agile response, yet community participation and prioritization of vulnerable migrant populations were insufficient in the governance processes. Our analysis contributes to the theory and practice of crisis decision-making by highlighting the role of political and administrative determinants in agile crisis decision-making. This study is funded by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention through a Cooperative Research Agreement (NU2HGH2020000037).

Translating Global Environmental Constitutionalism in the Indonesian Context: Pancasila vs. Liberalism

The translation of global environmental constitutionalism into local contexts presents a complex interplay between universal principles and indigenous values. This paper investigates this dynamic within the Indonesian context, juxtaposing the principles of Pancasila, the state ideology, with liberal environmental constitutionalism. While global environmental constitutionalism emphasizes individual rights, liberal democracy, and market mechanisms, Pancasila is rooted in collective welfare, harmony, and indigenous cultural values. The analysis begins by delineating the core tenets of liberal environmental constitutionalism, highlighting its focus on individual rights to environmental protection and the centrality of democratic governance. It then contrasts these principles with the philosophical underpinnings of Pancasila, which prioritize collective well-being, socio-cultural harmony, and state intervention for sustainable development. Furthermore, the paper examines the implications of translating liberal environmental constitutionalism into the Indonesian context. It identifies potential points of convergence and divergence between liberal ideals and Pancasila-based governance structures. Challenges such as reconciling individual rights with collective welfare, integrating indigenous knowledge into environmental policymaking, and navigating the tensions between state intervention and market mechanisms are discussed. Through this analysis, the paper contributes to the ongoing discourse on global environmental constitutionalism by emphasizing the importance of contextual adaptation. It underscores the need for flexible frameworks that accommodate diverse cultural, political, and economic realities. Ultimately, it argues for a nuanced approach that recognizes the value of both universal principles and indigenous wisdom in shaping effective environmental governance systems within specific national contexts.

Entangled migration states: mobility and state-building in France and Algeria

ABSTRACT This article develops the concept of ‘entangled migration states’ as a means of highlighting the centrality of migration governance to state-building processes, the constitution of state sovereignty, and interstate relations. Drawing on the example of France and Algeria, it demonstrates the key role that migration played in three phases of state-building: the colonial period of Algérie française; the Algerian nationalist independence movement; and postcolonial state-building. In the case of France and Algeria, at least three actors constructed and instrumentalised migration and mobility regimes as sources of power and control – the French imperial state; the non-state Algerian independence movement; and the newly sovereign postcolonial Algerian state. A focus on the entangled nature of migration management allows for a deeper historicisation of contemporary migration regimes and draws attention to the central role played by migration diplomacy and transnational governmentality in contemporary migration management regimes, thus calling into question some of the spatial assumptions undergirding the ‘migration state’ concept. The article traces the evolution of mobility patterns and control in the Franco-Algerian case; their relationship to state-building processes; and the implications for rethinking the ‘migration state’.

An Ephemeral State on the Enduring Steppe

Abstract Baroun Tala, or the Khoshoud Khanate, was the first of three khanates created by the Oirat Mongols of the seventeenth century (1642), followed by the Jöüngar (1678) and Kalmyk Khanates (1681). It rose at a time when the two most powerful noble Oirat lineages, the Choros and Khoshoud, were close allies. The Khoshoud ruled in Kükünour and Tibet from 1642 to 1720, some 78 years. That history is summarised herein. The Khoshoud alliance with the Jöüngars (ruled by the Choros) ended in 1676 when Choros Galdan Boshugtu defeated the Khoshoud Chechen Khan and scattered his people. The Khoshoud Khanate was tied to the Fifth Dalai Lama and the centralisation of governance that occurred under his newly established political authority. The end of the Khoshoud Khanate is linked to the demise of the Sixth Dalai Lama, their failed alliance with the Jöüngars and ultimate capitulation to the Qing.

Трансформация понятий «суверенитет» и «безопасность» в эпоху цифровых технологий: социально-правовой анализ

In the article, the concepts of sovereignty and security are developed based on the state unity idea, which is required in the conditions of a multinational state and an unstable socioeconomic situation. Transformation of the indicated concepts is accompanied with the processes of sociocentrism in law and centralization of government.

Local government centralization and corporate ESG performance: Evidence from China’s county-to-district reform

As a city–county consolidation with Chinese characteristics, China’s county-to-district (CtD) reform transfers a county’s autonomy to a city, thereby strengthening the administrative, decision-making, fiscal and other powers of the prefecture-level municipal government, which effectively enables the centralization of local governments. Based on this exogenous quasi-natural experiment, we use a difference-in-differences (DID) approach to empirically examine the impact of prefecture-level municipal government centralization on companies’ ESG performance. The results show that municipal government centralization can significantly promote corporate ESG performance, which represents environmental protection, social responsibility and corporate governance behavior. The mechanism analysis also shows that the CtD reform can address market segmentation, alleviate policy uncertainty and reduce rent-seeking, which further improves ESG performance.

The Challenge of Decentralization Policy for Television Broadcasting in Indonesia

This study aims to explain the challenges in the decentralization of television broadcasting in Indonesia, specifically, the role of political transformation over the last 20 years. Three provinces, i.e., Bali, South Sulawesi, and Daerah Istimewa Yogyakarta, were selected to represent various broadcasting operation characteristics in Indonesian provinces. Focusing on private television broadcasting, the case study examines the challenge of broadcasting decentralization policies in Indonesia. Data were collected via structured interviews involving 37 informants with a good understanding of local television broadcasting. The interviews were conducted in March, April, and July 2017. Meanwhile, secondary data in the form of relevant documents were analyzed using a desk study. Data were collected in two stages: May-September 2018 and November 2020-March 2021. These steps follow the current policy development on broadcasting decentralization. The findings indicate that decentralization faces challenges and that the policy has been tainted by media conglomerates’ economic interests and the central government’s recentralization politics. The economic interests were apparent in the fabrication of capital ownership and the centralization of business management and broadcast program production. The recentralization interests were noticeable through the operation license mechanism in the regions. In sum, Indonesia’s decentralization policy faces perpetual challenges from the surge of capitalization and the centralization of governance.

PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION AND GOVERNANCE IN AFRICAN PERSPECTIVES: CHALLENGES AND RECOMMENDATIONS

The democratic transition on the African continent has been accompanied by problems of poor governance, poor administration, third terms and centralized power, electoral administration conundrums, and corruption. This paper examines the overarching problems in Africa, including electoral challenges, the third term and centralization of power, societal, social, and economic governance, and the death of ethics. This is a desktop study, also known as a conceptual study, that is based on Asante's Afrocentricity Theory, which provides pedagogical thinking about power, dominance, racism, and the need to escape victimization. The findings of the article reveal that many African countries, including South Africa, Zimbabwe, Uganda, and Nigeria, face significant challenges due to poor governance and maladministration. The paper concludes by stating that to address the challenge of poor governance and maladministration in African countries, a multifaceted approach is necessary. One potential innovative solution is to increase transparency and accountability in government institutions using technology and data-driven decision-making. This could involve the implementation of digital systems for monitoring and reporting on government activities as well as the creation of independent oversight committees to ensure public officials are held accountable for their actions.

Discussing internet platform policy and regulation in Latin America

This article discusses policy and regulation of internet platforms in Latin America. It first addresses how internet platformization brings back to the political agenda the centrality of communication public policy and communication governance at a global scale. The article presents some global policy concerns on internet governance, while also analysing the regional specificities. It offers an overview of the tradition of communication policies in Latin America, to show continuities and shifts in the debates on internet governance highlighting key aspects, including the peripheral positioning and recognition of power asymmetries, and the role of states and the participation of society in the discussions. The presentation also portrays some of the current regulatory debates in the region and identifies at least three different approaches (and their pitfalls): taxation perspective; platform funding initiatives and content moderation regulatory projects under debate which, in many cases, jeopardize human right principles. Finally, an overview of the six articles comprised in this Special Issue is presented.

The Role of Federalism and the Centrality of State Governments for Labor Unions, Employment, and Organizing

Abstract American states differ in their protection of workers, acceptance of organized labor, dominant industrial cultures, and regarding labor unions’ capacity and political power. In this article, I examine declining union membership in the states and analyze various laws that limit the political power of unions and assess the consequences of these developments. I also document and explain a recent resurgence of labor organizing, political resistance, and work stoppages. There is a seeming contradiction between a labor movement that is both declining as well as gaining strength. However, a common theme in each of these trends is the centrality of state governments and politics regarding labor policy and union influence.

Geographies of COVID‐19

Geographies of COVID‐19

From centralization to cooperation: The development and reform process of sports venues in China from 1949 to 2022.

The management of sports venues has undergone a series of reforms since the People's Republic of China's establishment in 1949. The reform of management right is especially significant. It reflects the government-enterprise relationship and logic of government action. Utilizing the perspective of the government-enterprise relationship, this study systematically reviews the reform model for sports venues to incorporate Chinese characteristics. The aim of this study is to understand the relationship between the People's Republic of China's government and the market through the reforms implemented for the operation and management of sports venues. According to the study, the development and reform of sports venues in China has experienced government centralization, devolution, decentralization, and cooperation. The reform of sports venues' operation and management follows a "market-oriented government-led" model which reflects the government's logic. It is concluded that a "market-oriented government-led" model is essential for the promotion of comprehensive reforms for sports venues with Chinese characteristics.

The Centrality of Global Governance in Responding to Vaccine Nationalism at Play during Pandemics Such as Covid 19

The Centrality of Global Governance in Responding to Vaccine Nationalism at Play during Pandemics Such as Covid 19

(Re)Centralisation of education governance in Hungary: its causes, declared goals, motives and some potential hidden goals

After municipalities (local governments) and county level governments were established in Hungary in 1990, public education was operated, governed and financed by these elected bodies with the financial support of the central government until the end of 2012. In this decentralised system differences in local wealth and income of municipalities led to significant inequalities in the funding and performance of their schools, and the learning outcomes of the children studying in these. The FIDESZ-KDNP coalition government that took office in 2010 radically centralised the system of governance and funding of schools, claiming that this will be a remedy to the problems of the system. Based on a large set of research interviews and previous research results our paper investigates the declared goals of this reform, and tries to explore its motives as well. According to our research interviews granting equal opportunity in education to every child seems to be the overarching goal of centralisation, and there are three more other goals as well, including the creation of a more efficient and cost-effective system of institutional management. However, some characteristics of the selection of these goals and the seemingly complete lack of the monitoring of their fulfilment, together with the fact that independent research already proved that the centralisation was definitely unable to achieve its main declared goal, may substantiate the claim that this just served as a cover or pretext, and there probably exists a hidden agenda that is more important for the government than the publicly declared goals. Based on interviews with former politicians, education researchers, advisors and school headmasters we tried to find some of the possible real motives and hidden goals. Although the existence of such goals is impossible to prove exactly, we found several circumstances that may substantiate their existence.

Data governance and green technological innovation performance: A curvilinear relationship

The digital era has accelerated corporate innovation activity. Under the aim of “carbon neutrality”, green technological innovation pushed enterprises toward resource conservation and reduced energy consumption. Although digital technology could increase the utilization of resources in the whole view, it remains unclear under what conditions the data affects green technological innovation performance (GTIP) effectively, and how data governance empowers different organizational management levels by delegating digital information in this progress. This study draws on the knowledge management theory and dynamic capability theory to explore the relationship between data governance and green technological innovation performance in firms. To examine our research model, annual reports of Chinese firms from 2013 to 2019 are analyzed. Results from Poisson fixed-effect model analysis indicate that data governance in general has no direct significant effect on green innovation performance, but for detail data governance items, green innovation reaches maximum, then decreases under the influence of decentralization of data governance, while a slightly U-shaped curve happens when centralization of data governance adopts, but these two curves are asymmetrical contradicted. Our analysis also highlights the important role of corporate environmental proactivity, as it positively moderates the relationship between two types of data governance and firm's green technological innovation performance. Besides, we examine this project by using three-dimensional plot method and Johnson-Neyman check, then find these regressions are robust in our analysis. Finally, implications and recommendations for data governance research and practices are presented.

Governing the post-disaster recovery network in Nepal: Organizational challenges of public managers

Governing the network of public, private, and non-governmental organizations is increasingly becoming the standard practice to ensure effective post-disaster recovery and reconstruction processes and outcomes. While prior studies have discussed different challenges in network settings, few studies have examined the challenges faced by public managers who steer post-disaster recovery networks. Drawing on network governance and organizational theory and using 81 semi-structured interviews, we revealed three major challenges of the Nepal Reconstruction Authority's (NRA) public officers in managing the recovery network involving diverse stakeholders. First, national governments frequently divided and merged the fragmented and centralized organizational structure of NRA which added barriers to NRA officers' network management practices. Second, national governments directly controlled the NRA's access to disaster finances and human resources and influenced the personnel management of the NRA through the recruitment and dismissal of CEOs, executives, and employees. Third, stringent bureaucratic rules and practices impacted the organizational flexibility of NRA. Based on the findings that show the influence of national governments and bureaucracies on the organizational dimensions and public offices of the NRA, we argue the centralization of post-disaster governance in national governments and bureaucracies–rather than in the NRA.

Contesting legitimacy in China’s crisis communication: a framing analysis of reported social actors engaging in SARS and COVID-19

The study provided a framing analysis of China Daily in its coverage of the SARS and COVID-19 pandemics. By understanding social actors as a particular frame element, the study introduced word-frequency-based cluster analysis as a method of corpus collection and generation for qualitative frame analysis. The study identified four main social actor groups and 14 news frames during the two pandemics. The discursive centrality of the Chinese government among other social actors from China Daily and the persistent positive portrait of the government’s institutional performance under the responsibility-solution frame is discussed. The results imply that China’s crisis communication did not experience much change from reporting SARS to reporting COVID-19. In particular, the drop in frame diversity and the focus on information uniformity in reporting the pandemic may have limited the effectiveness of the Chinese news media in accessing international awareness and contributing to the global meaning construction of the unfolding crisis.