Government Reorganization Research Articles

Assessing the Viability of Smaller Municipalities: The Alberta Model

A confluence of economic and social trends has created significant challenges for smaller municipalities in jurisdictions across the advanced industrial societies. Population stagnation or decline and the concentration of major industries in metropolitan centres have weakened the economies of smaller communities and frequently triggered fiscal crises. This leads to serious challenges not only for the local communities but for other levels of government. Responses to this challenge from provincial and national governments have followed a variety of paths. In some cases, governments have opted for major reorganization. This may entail a shift to regional forms of government or support for amalgamations or annexations by larger, financially stronger municipalities. In Canada, Manitoba and New Brunswick provide two recent examples of provincial governments that have chosen sweeping changes to their systems of local government. Alberta, by contrast, has elected a case-by case approach to municipal reorganization. The Ministry of Municipal Affairs has developed a process for viability reviews of municipalities facing serious fiscal challenges. This approach reflects the stronger economic state of most municipalities in the province; at this point, there is no need for a sweeping reorganization of municipal government. To date, 24 municipalities have undergone a viability review and 14 have elected to dissolve. In doing so, they become hamlets in the surrounding County or Municipal District. This process has worked well for Alberta, but challenges remain. Dissolution does not solve all of the problems that communities are facing; the problems that led to dissolution remain and become the responsibility of the absorbing entity. And more municipalities are likely to experience the difficulties that have led others to dissolve. Monitoring the health of local communities and providing support to both struggling municipalities and the counties and districts that may assume responsibility for them will be needed to ensure the sustainability of Alberta’s existing municipal framework.

지방정부 조직개편 유형과 시기적 특징 분석 : 경기도를 중심으로

지방정부 조직개편 유형과 시기적 특징 분석 : 경기도를 중심으로

Interorganizational networks in dynamics of disaster: Comprehensive approach to network effectiveness

AbstractGovernments grapple with the challenges of uncertainty and complexity in disasters due to interconnected actors. This research explores how government organizations can effectively operate during disasters. Two aspects of network effectiveness—structural and procedural approaches—are considered. The structural approach emphasizes the network stability, while the procedural approach focuses on the process of network evolution. Analysing and comparing response networks from two earthquakes in Korea, a crucial environmental change—government reorganization—between them was identified. This allowed to assess how environmental changes impact network effectiveness. The findings suggest that effective disaster management requires complementing centralized authority with actual power distribution, empowering subnetwork groups as centres of common knowledge base, and emphasizing coordination among organizations with diverse expertise.

HUNTING FOR SOLOMON'S RING IN SALT ISLAND: THE HISTORY OF HADRAMI DIASPORA IN SUMENEP, 1832-1901

This article aims to narrate historically the social transformation and economic behavior of the Arab-Hadrami colony in Sumenep. Therefore, a socio-economic historical approach is employed in this research. The researcher engages in archival accuracy, synthesizing data, and presenting it within a historiographical framework. The study findings reveal that the formation of the Arab colony in Sumenep is attributed to the paternalistic relationship established between Arab-Hadrami traders and Sultan Abdurrahman. Socially and religiously based relationship facilitated the migration of Arab traders to Sumenep while also creating economic prosperity for them. However, following the Sultan's demise, the social ties between the Sumenep nobility and Arab traders began to diminish. Secondly, the colonial government's reorganization of Sumenep successfully opened up the island of Madura to the international market through the salt commodity. On the other hand, the reorganization of Sumenep stimulated the mobility of Arab-Hadrami trade, opening up new economic spaces such as maritime trade and salt transportation for them, and establishing capitalist relationships between Arab-Hadrami traders and the Sumenep nobility through the credit system.

국민권익위원회의 독립성과 정치적 중립성

In the summer of 2023, interest in independent administrative agencies such as the National Election Commission and the Board of Audit and Inspection, as well as legal agencies such as the Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission and the Korea Communications Commission, was hotter than ever in Korea. The Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission is an independent administrative agency under the Act on the Establishment and Operation of Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission (hereinafter referred to as the Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission Act) launched on February 29, 2008 by integrating three organizations: the National Complaint Handling Commission, the National Integrity Commission, and the Prime Minister's Administrative Appeals Commission. The Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission requires fairness in its work because it not only has a quasi-judicial nature for the ruling function related to administrative trials, but also monitors and checks administrative power for grievance complaints and prevention of corruption. In addition, independence is required in that the relief function is carried out within the administration, which is an organization in the hierarchy, so it should not be pressured by higher institutions or other state agencies. When overcoming these inherent limitations and reviewing the status and functions of the Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission, the most desirable form is the Anti- Corruption and Civil Rights Commission as an independent organization dedicated to corruption that is separated by function and focuses on the current anti-corruption function. In reality, however, whether the Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission's independence is guaranteed is controversial. And most of these controversies are seen as inherent limitations stemming from the integration between institutions that cannot achieve functional integration. The reorganization of the government is to make conscious changes to the government's organizational structure. In such a government reorganization, various circumstances such as the purpose and procedure of the system, organization, operation, and complementarity should be comprehensively considered, and it should be designed as an appropriate organizational form for performing future-oriented tasks. I think the reorganization on the premise of this is the way to ensure the independence required by the institution.

국민권익위원회 조직개편과 기능강화 방안 연구

Since the founding of the Republic of Korea, corruption has been a top policy issue for any regime, but no regime has been free from corruption. With the enactment of the Anti-Corruption Act, the Korea Independent Commission against Corruption was launched in 2002 and the Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission(ACRC) was established in 2008, but the investigation of corruption awareness has been stalled and major corruption cases have repeatedly erupted. In the future, anti-corruption and integrity reform tasks will continue to be the top policy tasks. Therefore, the role of ACRC is still significant.
 The purpose of this study is to examine the organizational legal history and characteristics of the Anti-Corruption, Ombudsman and Administrative Appeals of ACRC's functions, and to examine the direction of reorganization by analyzing the correlation between functions. In addition, measures to strengthen the status and function of ACRC as a general agency for anti-corruption were summarized.
 ACRC was launched by the integration of the Korea Independent Commission against Corruption, the Ombudsman of Korea and the Administrative Appeals Commission in 2008 under the new government's 'Small Government' policy stance. However, it has been pointed out that the three functions of the Anti-Corruption, Ombudsman and Administrative Appeals do not function organically through chemical fusion due to the integration of the three institutions of a heterogeneous nature.
 Analysis of the correlation between the three functions shows that the Anti-Corruption and Administrative Appeals are heterogeneous, the Anti-Corruption and Ombudsman can be fused, and Ombudsman and Administrative Appeals are different, but on the contrary, there is a possibility of a positive correlation. Therefore, the direction of government reorganization, in which ACRC, a general agency for preventing corruption, separates Administrative Appeals function and leaves Ombudsman function, can be evaluated as positive. However, if the positive correlation between Ombudsman and Administrative Appeals is considered together, an alternative to separating not only the Administrative Appeals but also Ombudsman function can be considered. However, it is not simple to move on to the question of whether to make Ombudsman a separate organization or combine it with Administrative Appeals. Legislative policy discussions on the procedures and organizational design of Administrative Appeals ans Ombudsman functions need to be preceded.
 Apart from discussions on reorganization, ACRC has been criticized for its deterioration from the president to the prime minister, undermining its status, independence and political neutrality, and lacking practical authority to realize anti-corruption functions. In order to solve these problems and strengthen the overall anti-corruption function, it is proposed to establish an independent anti-corruption organization, to include the Chairperson of ACRC in the list of Confirmation Hearings, to grant investigation rights, and to improve the whistleblower protection system.

Relative Abundance in the Land of Oil: Reorganization of Extractive Resource Governance in Decentralizing Indonesia

This study aims to examine the governance of extractive resources by the state as an axis of development at the national and subnational levels. This study focuses on Indonesia and Bojonegoro Regency as the main unit of analysis. Using the method of historical sociology, this article argues that the institutional capacity of the state in the governance of extractive resources, particularly oil, depends on the extent to which the mechanisms of autonomy and distribution of state power are reorganized to achieve developmental transformation. The combination of historical evidence not only adds to the theoretical understanding of state social power but also contributes to development theory by adding a historical dimension. As a country with abundant natural resources, Indonesia has faced challenges in the governance of extractive resources since colonial times. The abundance of natural resources is not always linear with development outcomes in each period of governance. Indonesia has seventeen oil and gas-producing provinces. However, the resource curse still applies in eight provinces where the number of poor people is higher than the national average. The governance of Indonesia's extractive industries is no longer monopolized by the national government but involves subnational governments. Politically, many local governments have complained that the process of calculating, distributing and reporting oil and gas revenue-sharing funds often creates tensions between central and local governments. Synergies between the state and civil society in the governance of extractive resources are needed to accelerate development transformation. Historical experience shows that the limited distributive power of civil society in extractive resource governance hinders the process of accelerating development transformation in Indonesia.

Small towns and their surroundings in the context of local government reorganisation. Results from Schleswig-Holstein (Germany)

The importance of small towns for stabilising and supporting the development of rural regions is being gradually recognised in spatial research and planning. This paper discusses the status of small towns in local administrative reform processes. It is based on the example of reform processes that were carried out in the German state of Schle- swig-Holstein. At the end of this process, the small towns found themselves in very dif- ferent political and administrative constellations with respect to neighbouring districts. Strengthening towns as central service locations was not part of the state’s plans for reform. In several cases, even if a town had an efficient administration, the surrounding municipalities were not prepared to entrust their administration to the town, but rather perpetuated duplicate structures in a local “collar” district administration around the town. Steps for better efficiency and specialisation of employees were not implemented. It became clear that many small municipalities did not want to be administered by towns. As a final result, the concerns of the small towns were not taken into account sufficiently in the reform processes in question.

ПРИНЦИПИ ДОБРОВІЛЬНОГО ОБ’ЄДНАННЯ ТЕРИТОРІАЛЬНИХ ГРОМАД В УКРАЇНІ

The article is devoted to the characteristics of the principles of voluntary association of territorial communities in Ukraine. The principles of voluntary association of territorial communities (OTG) in Ukraine, their essence, content and main tasks in the legal relations of formation and functioning of united communities and reorganization of local governments on the basis of their decentralization are studied. The features of the principles of voluntary association of territorial communities are proposed, which include: a) their constitutional and legislative consolidation, taking into account the rule of law; b) contain the basic ideas of the municipal government and are formed voluntarily; c) act independently with the support of the state and under their own responsibility; d) ensure the realization of the rights and freedoms and common interests of the inhabitants of a certain administrative-territorial unit. The principles of voluntary association of territorial communities are enshrined in the Constitution and laws of Ukraine, taking into account the rule of law, the main ideas of voluntary association of villagers, settlements, cities, designed to exercise municipal authority independently and through their representatives with the support state and ensure the rights and freedoms of the inhabitants of a particular administrative-territorial unit. In order to improve the legal regulation of the principles of voluntary association of territorial communities, we propose to amend the Law of Ukraine of February 5, 2015 "On voluntary association of territorial communities." The words "rule of law" should be preceded by the words "rule of law". As a result of Art. 2 item 1, item 1) should be formulated: "rule of law, constitutionality and legality", and item 7) «responsibility and ensuring human and civil rights and freedoms».

The Washington Command Post of Intelligence: The Bureaucratic Rivalries That Influenced the National Security Act of 1947

Historians often frame President Truman’s decisions to disband the Office of Strategic Services (OSS) and to form the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) as the consequence of strategies developed to counter foreign enemies, including fascists and communists, or involving concerns over civil liberties. Relatively few scholars, by contrast, have examined the institutional development of intelligence organizations and the roles that bureaucratic rivalries and governmental factors played in influencing Truman and the development of the postwar national security state. This paper examines interagency conflicts, policymakers’ personalities, departmental jurisdictions, and prior and institutional experiences. The primary rationale behind the creation of the OSS was to remedy the uncoordinated nature of departmental intelligence. The creation of the OSS in 1942, however, considerably worsened rivalries, and led to its termination almost immediately following the war. After months of hesitancy, Truman concluded that formalized central intelligence was the only way to address these rivalries and thus ordered the various intelligence agencies to formulate a plan for a modern, postwar intelligence structure. Making use of declassified government documents and policymakers’ correspondence and memoirs, this paper addresses the degree to which these bureaucratic rivalries and intragovernmental factors helped construct the national security state. By doing so, this paper sheds light on contemporary issues of intelligence failures, government reorganization plans, and the expanding national security apparatus.

The Fiscal Impact of County-to-Urban District Conversion in China

Municipal annexation has been one of the most widely adopted instruments for urban growth in the United States. Scholars of public choice and regional studies have long debated the fiscal effect of local government annexation. Few studies, however, examine the fiscal effect of municipal administrative annexations in China, where prefectural cities have extensively annexed county-level governments through forcefully converting rural counties into urban districts in a top-down manner. Employing a difference-in-differences (DID) method coupled with an event study approach, we analyzed a panel data set of 282 prefectural cities from 2007 to 2015 to examine the fiscal impact of annexation in China. The findings show that prefectural cities have significantly increased their land conveyance fees through administrative annexation. Given that land conveyance fees serve as one of the most important own-source revenues at the local level, our findings shed light on the crucial link among the urbanization process, government reorganization, and local land finance in China and, potentially, in other transition countries.

The local paradox in grand policy schemes. Lessons from Newfoundland and Labrador

We turn to the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador and its continuous reorganization of governance, its series of shocks, ambitions of reinvention and development to analyze the risks associated with Great Reset-style ambitions. We coin the concept of the local paradox: grand schemes need input from and implementation at a local level and this requires local governance to be autonomous, legitimate and to have the institutional and cognitive capacities, as well as the resources, to fulfill these roles. On the other hand, these requirements can entirely derail top-down ambitions. Currently, existing local governance might not be interested in transformation into more empowered political entities capable of contributing to greater collective goals. We suggest ways out of this conundrum, arguing for a strict avoidance of ideological tropes and false oppositions.

Diplomatic practice of ancient Rome in the IV century

IV century Roman diplomacy facilitated the long reorganization of government, which put the practice of diplomacy in front of a difficult task. Ancient Rome ruled the multinational people through practical diplomatic skills, centered on concluding treaties with military alliances and fulfilling obligations under treaties. Such a circumstance, in turn, laid the foundation for "people-to-people" diplomacy, which sought to strengthen and change relations with dependent states and peoples through diplomatic relations.Among other developments in the field of diplomatic practice in ancient Rome, a treaty of treaty and alliance that established a kind of ambassadors' institution, and the senate, played a crucial role in the practice of coercive diplomatic practice, most notably in the time of the Samnites. It is symbolic that almost every city that was conquered by Rome was declared its property or an ally while the people living there were forced to negotiate through diplomatic contacts and conclude a peace treaty.

The politics of government reorganization inWestern Europe

AbstractThe reorganization of governments is crucial for parties to express their policy preferences once they reach office. Yet these activities are not confined to the direct aftermath of general elections or to wide‐ranging structural reforms. Instead, governments reorganize and adjust their machinery of government all the time. This paper aims to assess these structural choices with a particular focus at the core of the state, comparing four Western European democracies (Germany, France, the Netherlands, and United Kingdom) from 1980 to 2013. Our empirical analysis shows that stronger shifts in cabinets' ideological profiles in the short‐ and long‐term as well as the units' proximity to political executives yield significant effects. In contrast, Conservative governments, commonly regarded as key promoters of reorganizing governments, are not significant for the likelihood of structural change. We discuss the effects of this politics of government reorganization for different research debates assessing the inner workings of governments.

State‐level coordination for community college student success

AbstractHigher education governance of community colleges is understudied. Driving an increased focus on community college coordination and oversight at the state level are the role of access from dual enrollment to adult learners, the need to smooth the transfer function of community colleges, jobs requiring educational attainment beyond high school, and reorganization of higher education governance to assist in achieving state attainment goals. This article addresses three topics relevant to state‐level governance of community colleges. First, it explains the various types of state‐level community college coordination (e.g., governing, coordination, association). Second, it highlights results from a State Higher Education Executive Officers Association's (SHEEO) survey on the functions of state‐level community college governing boards, coordinating boards, and associations. Third, it offers conclusions from the survey results and suggestions for action by community college practitioners and researchers.

중국 해양오염방제에 관한 법적 고찰

In order to conserve and manage the marine environment efficiently, China enacted the Marine Environment Protection law in 1982 and has established a pollution control system to respond to marine pollution accidents such as oil and Hazardous Chemicals. In China, oil pollution accidents at sea are classified by type. Under the distributed management structure China MSA supervise the marine pollution caused by ship accident. State Oceanic Administration supervise the marine pollution caused by oil exploration and development. Each department has taken emergency response plan to different type of marine pollution accident. Despite that the government does its efforts to establish a marine pollution control system, large-scale marine pollution accidents such as the 2011 Penglai oilfield spill accident in Bohai Bay and the Sanchi crash in 2018 had occurred. The reality is that the pollution control system and emergency countermeasures did not work effectively. In order to solve these problems, the Ministry of Ecology and Environment unified environmental management tasks through government reorganization in 2018. Ministry of Ecology and Environment started to improve the pollution control system by promoting the revision of the Environmental Protection Management Ordinance on offshore oil exploration and development in 2019. This paper examines the current status of marine pollution accidents and pollution control systems. Providing an effective policy for marine pollution control, suggesting directions for improving the legal system by analyzing the current status and contents of related legislations.

Reorganization of Local Government in UK

Reorganization of Local Government in UK

Government Reorganization in the ICT Sector: Analysis of Multi-Level Factors from the Case of South Korea

Governments around the world have invested agreatdealof time and energy to reform their administrative structures for increasing public officials’ efficiency in internal affairs and improving citizens’ satisfaction on public service. The literature on government reorganization, consisting mostly of in-depth case studies on the influential factors of government reorganization through a small-N sample of countries, has contributed to understanding the essence of government reorganization. This study raises its limitations and the necessity of follow-up studies examining the influential factors of demands and needs for government reorganization for diagnosis and prediction purposes through a large-N sample of individuals. In this vein, this study aims to perform logistic analysis to investigate the factors influencing the perceptions of survey respondents (i.e., the general public and government officials) on the need for government reorganization based on information and communications technology (ICT) in the Korean public sector. According to research findings, “possibility of conflict between security and smart work” and “urgency of responses to AI development” are associated with an increase in the perceived necessity to reorganize the ICT sector. On the other hand, “organizational amalgamation by integrating government-affiliated institutes” and “policy direction in the mobile era” are associated with a decrease in the perceived necessity to reorganize the ICT sector. These research findings suggest that scholars and practitioners need to consider multi-level factors of government reorganization when they conceive, design, adopt, and implement the restructuring of ICT-sector agencies.

SPECIFIC FEATURES OF AMALGAMATED TERRITORIAL COMMUNITY AS A SUBJECT OF FISCAL LEGAL RELATIONS

The author of the article studies specific features of the legal status of a amalgamated territorial community as a subject of fiscal legal relations. The author has a;so studied the reasons that led to the need of implementing administrative reform in Ukraine to decentralize power and to form amalgamated territorial communities. A parallel with the administrative reform of the Republic of Poland is drawn. The author has emphasized the main purpose of the decentralization reform: structural reorganization of local government with a clear definition of the competence of self-government units and financial reorganization to enable the provision of quality public services to the community. The points of view of scholars, representatives of economic and legal sciences on the formulation of the concept of “amalgamated territorial community” have been analyzed. Particular attention has been paid to the fact that scholars working in different fields of knowledge study certain aspects of the formation of an amalgamated territorial community. The emphasis has been made on the need to unite the efforts of scholars to formulate the most clear and complete concept of “amalgamated territorial community” in the legal norm in order to qualitatively regulate social relations. The author has offered to define the concept of “amalgamated territorial community” taking into account two key features – it is the association of two or more primary subjects of self-government and the financial solvency to provide services to their members. The place of the concept of “amalgamated territorial community” has been defined within one conceptual series with the categories of “primary subject of local self-government”, “territorial community”, “village territorial community”, “settlement territorial community”, “city territorial community” within local self-government institution, as well as the relationship with the categories of “local self-government budget”, “local finance”, “fiscal legal relations”. The author has analyzed the discussion of scholars on the features of an amalgamated territorial community as a subject of financial legal relations. The existence of differences of the amalgamated territorial community from other territorial communities that are subjects of fiscall legal relations has been established. It has been determined that the very subjective right to receive subventions from the state budget for the formation of appropriate infrastructure in accordance with the plan of socio-economic development of the territorial community, makes it a unique subject of fiscal legal relations.

Cancer Screening in the Coronavirus Pandemic Era: Adjusting to a New Situation.

PURPOSEThe coronavirus-induced pandemic has put great pressure on health systems worldwide. Nonemergency health services, such as cancer screening, have been scaled down or withheld as a result of travel restrictions and resources being redirected to manage the pandemic. The present article discusses the challenges to cancer screening implementation in the pandemic environment, suggesting ways to optimize services for breast, cervical, and colorectal cancer screening.METHODSThe manuscript was drafted by a team of public health specialists with expertise in implementation and monitoring of cancer screening. A scoping review of literature revealed the lack of comprehensive guidance on continuation of cancer screening in the midst of waxing and waning of infection. The recommendations in the present article were based on the advisories issued by different health agencies and professional bodies and the authors' understanding of the best practices to maintain quality-assured cancer screening.RESULTSA well-coordinated approach is required to ensure that essential health services such as cancer management are maintained and elective services are not threatened, especially because of resource constraints. In the context of cancer screening, a few changes in invitation strategies, screening and management protocols and program governance need to be considered to fit into the new normal situation. Restoring public trust in providing efficient and safe services should be one of the key mandates for screening program reorganization. This may be a good opportunity to introduce innovations (eg, telehealth) and consider de-implementing non–evidence-based practices. It is necessary to consider increased spending on primary health care and incorporating screening services in basic health package.CONCLUSIONThe article provides guidance on reorganization of screening policies, governance, implementation, and program monitoring.