Higher Levels Of Government Research Articles

Economic growth and environmental pollution in China: New evidence from government work reports

In China, economic growth targets significantly affect the economic behavior of local governments. This paper analyzes a dataset of the economic growth targets from 230 city government work reports from 2004 to 2019 to reveal how economic growth targets affect local environmental pollution. The empirical results show that the economic growth targets are “overweight” from the higher-level governments to the lower-level governments, which significantly aggravates regional environmental pollution because of environmental regulation relaxation, blocked industrial structure upgrades and technological innovation inhibition. Furthermore, to exceed the economic growth targets, local governments usually adopt the “riding a seesaw” strategy for the treatment of different pollutants. If the economic growth target statements are ambiguous or attainable, then environmental pollution is reduced. Interestingly, the “preemptive” city government, which sets economic growth goals before its province, is more inclined to maintain growth at the expense of the environment. This study provides important evidence for the literature on the impacts of government behavior on environmental pollution.

Understanding Stakeholders’ Perspectives on the Collaborative Governance Challenges in Sabah’s (Malaysian Borneo) Jurisdictional Approach

Collaborative governance is increasingly being used as a solution to address climate change and deforestation in the tropics, but its stakeholders face numerous challenges in making it work. This study aims to understand stakeholders’ perspectives on the challenges of collaborative governance, focusing on Sabah’s jurisdictional approach. We applied the Q-methodology to derive the perspectives of the stakeholders involved. The results revealed three significant perspectives. The first perspective, “participant factors,” highlighted that the representation of the ‘right’ stakeholders and the mandate to make decisions are inadequate. The second perspective, “non-progress in activities,” suggests that the lack of accountability hampers the progress of the initiative. The third perspective, “shared understanding,” reflects the stakeholders’ inability to agree on a common goal. The consensus regarding the collaboration challenge is that the jurisdictional approach initiative is new, and nobody knows how to implement it, emphasizing the need for higher-level government commitment. This study reveals the challenges of collaborative governance in a jurisdictional approach by providing empirical evidence of the diverse perspectives of stakeholders.

Broadening the paradigm: Community development, schools and the dimensions of power

ABSTRACT Community development needs to address the role of schools. Beyond education, schools can be important sources of health care, nutrition, and economic development. However, schools, as separate governmental institutions, create challenges and opportunities for community development. Case studies in this special issue show both the promise and the challenges. In this article, we highlight the importance of hierarchical power relations, as schools may wield power over community, or lose power to tax abating authorities or higher levels of government. Shared power is needed, if the promise of schools as community development actors is to be realized. Because collaboration can narrow discussion to common agendas, we argue that voice, conscientization, and sharing of funding are needed to enable comprehensive community collaborations that lead to a broader agenda for community development.

Can democracy reduce forest loss?: A cross-national analysis

While democracies are thought to have the power, authority, and ability to make significant reductions in forest loss, cross-national research yields contradictory findings. Previous research finds that democracy increases forest loss, decreases forest loss, and has no impact on forest loss. This article argues that these mixed findings are because within democracies, institutional structures of governance vary. While some democracies may have strong governance, others may not, which may explain contradictory findings in previous research. To test this claim, this article includes an interaction term between four measures of democracy (polyarchy, vertical, diagonal, and horizontal) and three national governance measures (i.e., control of corruption, rule of law, and government effectiveness) using ordinary least squares (OLS) regression for a sample of 86 low‐ and middle‐income nations. The dependent variable is the change in forest loss from 2001 to 2014. The findings suggest that democracy decreases forest loss more at higher levels of governance than lower levels of governance. These results suggest that democracies alone will not reduce forest loss, but that democracies with strong governance can reduce forest loss.

Financial Globalization and Growth: The Impacts of Financial Development and Governance

The conventional theory suggests that financial globalization encourages growth. The empirical literature, however, does not give convincing support for the theoretical benefits of financial globalization. This paper investigates the relationship between financial globalization and growth in a sample of 33 emerging market economies during the 1995-2019 period by considering both de facto and de jure measures of financial globalization. We first study the direct effect of financial globalization on growth. Then, we focus on whether the growth impact of financial globalization is conditional on the level of financial development and governance. Our two-step system GMM estimation results suggest that both financial globalization measures tend to lower growth, albeit this negative relationship mitigates after the global financial crisis. Our empirical findings also indicate that the negative growth impact of financial globalization diminishes with the high levels of financial development and governance. The results indicate that investing and upgrading the collateral environment cause higher growth and mitigate the negative growth impact of financial globalization.

Information Technology Governance in Colombian Small and Medium Companies: An Exploratory Study Using Data Analysis

Information Technology (IT) is a resource for achieving strategic business objectives. However, many Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SME’s) do not consider IT a strategic area. This article explores the perception of IT governance in Colombia among IT professionals. It presents the design, data analysis, and results of a survey based on the Governance of Enterprise IT framework. The survey was conducted in 2019 and 2020, obtaining responses from 151 IT professionals that worked in 48 SME's and 90 from large companies. Data were analyzed with WEKA and KNIME, applying classification, segmentation, and association techniques. Results indicate that: (1) SME’s associate IT investment with the generation and improvement of products and services; (2) employees’ and users’ performance is higher when they work in companies with managers that have a high commitment to IT governance; and (3) 95% of companies with high implementation levels of IT governance consider IT very important in their strategies.

Editorial introduction: Punctuated equilibrium, multiple streams, environmental governance, and many more

Editorial introduction: Punctuated equilibrium, multiple streams, environmental governance, and many more

Volatile Mining Revenues and State Government Budget Decisions

AbstractMining royalties provide a volatile source of revenue for state governments in Australia. We explore the effects of changes in royalty revenue received by a state government on current‐year budget decisions about expenditure, tax revenue and the budget surplus. The literature postulates different models for how lower‐level government budget decisions respond to a revenue windfall from a higher level of government. Empirical evidence on these models over 1998–2019 provides strong evidence that over a half of a royalty windfall becomes a change in budget expenditure. Estimates of changes to tax revenues and the surplus are not definitive nor robust.

Suing the government under weak rule of law: Evidence from administrative litigation reform in China

There is a long-standing debate in the literature about the effectiveness of strengthening judicial independence in developing countries with weak rule of law. This paper exploits a recent Chinese judicial reform in administrative litigation, which changed the jurisdiction rule from intra-regional to trans-regional, to estimate the effects of improved judicial independence on protecting private entities against potential abuses of public authority. We find a significant increase in the probability of successfully suing local governments after the reform, especially when the defendants are more powerful government departments and when the plaintiffs are individual citizens with fewer legal resources than firms. But this effect is more limited for higher-level governments. The reform also results in increased case filings, prolonged trial time, and enhanced judicial quality. In addition, it raises the awareness of both governments and citizens about the rule of law, increases firm entry, and worsens general public attitudes toward local governments, at least in the short term. Our study highlights trans-regional jurisdiction as a new source of judicial independence in a party state and its potential limitations.

Does polycentrism deliver? A case study of energy community governance in Europe

The European Union's Clean Energy Package (CEP) plans to transform ‘passive consumers’ into ‘active citizens’ to support the transition to a carbon-neutral energy system by 2050. By stimulating the growth of renewable energy communities, the CEP works towards the redefinition of renewable energy as an economic commodity to a common good. In this paper, we approach the implementation of the CEP through the notion of polycentricity. Building on previous literature, we identified seven variables for effective polycentric energy governance: equity and co-benefits; inclusivity and local involvement; information, demonstration and innovation; ownership and accountability; organizational multiplicity; experimentation and flexibility; and clear goals set and enforced by a higher-level authority. To compare a variety of polycentric institutional configurations, we analyze Norway, the Netherlands, and Germany. Our findings indicate that, in general, some degree of polycentricity appears to be beneficial for the energy transition. This is the foundation for building local ownership and inclusivity and thus the emphasis is rightly placed there and could be expanded. Secondly, issues of ownership and accountability stand out as key enablers of renewable energy communities and the additional common goods that they bring to the energy system. These communities need to be enabled in financial terms to deploy a sufficient amount of projects, e.g., by giving them access to risk capital in the early development stages. In turn, this requires clear regulations and accountability mechanisms being installed on what precisely falls under the definition of a renewable energy community. Finally, we found that even as polycentricity is a promising approach, it does need to be anchored with a significant role for higher level government in order to function effectively.

The benefits of ecological restoration exceed its cost in South Africa: An evidence-based approach

Ecological restoration has become a development intervention of choice at the highest levels of governance at a global level. In due recognition of the restoration of ecosystems’ capability and potential to contribute to economic, ecological and social wellbeing and health, the United Nations and its partners announced the UN decade of restoration which commenced in 2021. The strategic importance of restoration at a time when resources are under serious pressure necessitates that we take stock of what the costs and the benefits of restoration are. We analysed all the known papers published in peer-reviewed journals on the costs and benefits of restoration since 1997 for South Africa to make inferences about the cost-effectiveness thereof.The net present value (NPV) of restoration, using a discount rate of 7% over a 25-year timespan, was estimated for several ecosystems. It was found that given the wide standard deviation of the values observed, mean values have little application. We, therefore, compare the costs and the benefits of restoration according to four cohorts, or quartiles, of values. The NPV/ha for quartile 1 (benefits less costs) and quartile 3 (benefits less costs) in 2020-values are estimated as follows: Fynbos at -US$49/ha and -US$564/ha; rivers, lakes and waterbodies at US$467/ha and US$3 2964/ha; Savanna at US$2974/ha and US$23 657/ha; Grasslands at -US$457/ha and -US$806/ha; Succulent Karoo at -US$205/ha and US$362/ha; Deserts at US$90/ha and US$43/ha; and Thicket at US$2 958/ha and US$4 641/ha.Except for the Succulent Karoo and Fynbos, the benefits of restoration likely exceed its costs, and by some considerable margin in most cases. It is thus recommended that not only more research be conducted in those cases where there are only a few estimates but also that estimates are made for a wider range of benefits. A concerted effort must be made to implement a country-wide restoration programme to the benefit of both the current and future generations.

Conflict Resolution between Multi-Level Government and Farmers in Land Expropriation Based on Institutional Credibility Theory: Empirical Evidence from Shandong Province, China

Land expropriation has always been a hot spot of social conflicts. The land expropriation policy of Merging Villages and Living Together (MVLT) in rural areas has intensified conflicts due to insufficient financial compensation and “demolishing old houses before building new ones”. The current research most simply assesses the degree of conflict and the influencing factors but rarely includes farmers, governments at all levels, the strength of policy tools, and policy perceptions in a unified quantitative research framework, which is not conducive to conflict resolution and policy improvement. This paper adopts the institutional credibility theory, incorporates the policy instruments of higher-level governments, administrative instruments of lower-level governments, and farmers’ credibility of policies into a unified accounting framework, constructs a conflict stress index, evaluates the role of each subject’s characteristics, policy perceptions, and policy instruments in the process of conflict generation and resolution, and analyzes the methods of conflict resolution from the perspective of different stakeholder conflicts. The theoretical analysis framework and the quantitative analysis of the indicators are verified by using a case study of MVLT policy in Shandong Province, China. The results show that the credibility of the policy of “village integration” is influenced by individual characteristics and varies significantly. The administrative means and different combinations of lower-level government are significantly related to an increase in farmers’ credibility, which can significantly improve the success rate of policy implementation. The effect of administrative means of higher-level government on the credibility of farmers is limited. The highest value of the conflict index was observed when the administrative instruments reached the maximum value without a marginal increase in farmers’ credibility. Based on the quantitative evaluation of conflict generation and resolution mechanisms, recommendations for policy implementation and improvement were made.

Frontline governmental cooperation in environmental governance: A case analysis on the ecological demonstration zone in China

This study investigates the establishment of the Yangtze River Delta Eco-Green Integrated Development Demonstration Zone (also known as Ecological Demonstration Zone). During the inspection and acceptance process of the higher-level government, the authors identified two distinct types of government cooperation between frontline environmental policy implementers and middle-level government, as well as the public. The new interaction emphasizes cooperation between implementers and the public, while the traditional interaction involves collaboration between implementers and the government. This research aims to comprehend the underlying reasons for the shift in the targeted interaction of frontline government in environmental governance. The study uses fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis to explore the cooperation dynamics in the implementation of environmental policies and to uncover that the power to promote the interaction of frontline governments in environmental governance comes from institutional change factors such as fuzzy task models and qualitative on-site inspections and acceptances by higher-level governments.

The influence of government affiliations on firm product innovation in a dynamic institutional environment: insights from China

PurposeBuilding on resource dependence theory and the dynamic institution-based view, this paper examines the influence of government affiliations on firm product innovation in a dynamic institutional environment.Design/methodology/approachUsing unique panel data of Chinese manufacturing firms covering a period of 12 years (1998–2009) with 2,564,547 firm-year observations, this study chooses the panel Tobit model with random effects to explore the influence of government affiliations on firm product innovation, followed by an analysis to test the moderation effects of dynamic institutional environments.FindingsThe study findings suggest that Chinese firms with higher-level government affiliations have a relatively high product innovation performance. It finds that this innovation stimulating effect is contingent on the dynamic nature of the institutional environment. To be specific, a high speed of institutional transition may depress the positive innovation effects of government affiliations, while a more synchronized transition speed of institutional components may enhance the positive innovation effects of firms' government affiliations.Originality/valueThis study adds to a better understanding of the drivers of product innovation in Chinese firms that are situated in environments that are characterized by institutional change, using and contributing to resource dependence theory and the dynamic institution-based view.

A study on the control path of financial research resource allocation based on Rahman model

The participation of scientific research firms in transactions (research results) is a prerequisite for allocation of financial resources. Resources are allocated to projects with the greatest positive impact on social welfare. In this respect, the Rahman model is a useful method for allocating financial resources. It considers the dual productivity of a system and recommends allocating financial resources to the system with greatest absolute advantage. In this study, when the dual productivity of system 1 has an absolute advantage over that of system 2, the higher-level government will still allocate all financial resources to system 1, even if its total efficiency of research savings is lower than that of system 2. However, when the research conversion rate of system 1 is at a relative disadvantage but its total efficiency of research savings and dual productivity are both at a relative advantage, there may be a change in the government's allocation of financial resources. If the initial government decision time occurs before the jump point, system 1 will be allocated all resources until it reaches the jump point, but no resources once the jump point is crossed. Furthermore, the government will allocate all financial resources to system 1 if its dual productivity, total efficiency of research savings, and research conversion rate are at a relative advantage. Collectively, these results provide a theoretical basis and practical guidance for research specialization and resource allocation.

A framework for exploring futures of complex urban energy systems

In order to address the climate crisis and provide citizens with clean, secure and affordable energy, urban energy systems need to transition. This is significant as urban energy systems are increasingly seen as complex systems for their close interactions with local urban society, while being interdependent with higher levels of governance. Decisions taken today will continue to influence the inhabitants of our cities for well over 50 years, locking in energy consumption patterns of the future. How, then, do we make decisions on the interventions needed to bring about a desirable future, and prepare for the probable and possible futures? In this paper, we consider the key characteristics of urban energy systems from a complexity science perspective in order to explore what methodologies in futures and foresight scholarship could be beneficial in supporting urban energy decision-making. To do this we have undertaken an integrative review—a method that allows review, synthesis, critique, and analysis of new and emerging topics across multiple disciplines and multiple literature types—and consider the findings in light of their usefulness in understanding complex systems, which are inherently uncertain. We consider how futures and foresight theories and methods can be applied in urban and energy studies, highlighting examples of where around the world these have been applied by organizations seeking to shape transitions. The many methods and approaches that exist under the futures' umbrella have not been applied to anywhere near their full potential in urban energy studies, despite the limitations of many of the planning and modeling exercises currently used. We use key learnings from existing futures and foresight scholarship, along with our understanding of urban energy systems as complex adaptive systems, to propose a theoretical and practical framework for exploring their futures. The framework encompasses concepts of futures, contextualization, mapping uncertainty, participatory processes, and futures governance. Although there is much further research work needed to test and operationalize this framework in an applied way with city stakeholders, we hope this charts a way forward in addressing the critical challenges faced by urban energy planners and their partners.

Subsidised transport services in a fiscal federation: Why local governments may be against decentralised service provision

In this paper we consider a fiscal federation and study the effects of decentralised provision of loss-generating public services with benefit spillovers to other regions. We use public transport provision across administrative borders as a prototype example. We show in a formal model that local governments might be better off when a higher-level government or a neighbouring region provides these services, and even privatisation to a monopolist can be preferred over decentralisation. Our model reveals that these results are governed by a variant of the tax exporting mechanism that applies to subsidised services, i.e., the possibility that local consumers can exploit spillover benefits without contributing to the subsidy burden of service provision. Public transport provision is one of the large sectors of public policy where decentralisation could provide social benefits, but, as the paper reveals, the need for subsidies generates a genuine conflict of interest between the governments involved.

Missing density: assessing support for compact cities among Canadian municipal officials and members of the public

ABSTRACT Developing compact urban form is a key strategy for the decarbonization of cities. Though many Canadian municipalities have declared climate emergencies, few have made progress on enabling compact land use. What, then, are the prospects for mitigating climate change via increased density? In this analysis, we examine two datasets: survey data of Canadian municipal elected officials (N = 1156), and a representative survey of the Canadian public (N = 3925). We find robust evidence in both samples that elected officials and members of the public who support local climate action are more likely to endorse low-carbon transport than to endorse compact cities. Among politicians, 35% strongly supported climate action, but only 17% strongly supported both climate action and increased density in established neighbourhoods. Since compact cities are critical to the success of low-carbon transport, voters may struggle to identify local candidates who endorse both climate action and the policies necessary to attain it. We further examine predictors of opposition to densification among members of the public, finding that, all else equal, home ownership is associated with a 33% decrease in the likelihood of a participant strongly supporting new housing in established neighbourhoods. While cities could use a variety of policy tools to increase density – including zoning changes, shorter public consultations, and reduced car parking – political will to implement these policies may be lacking. Given the obstacles to local action identified here, we suggest that provincial or national legislation may circumvent local opposition and accelerate the transition to a more compact urban form. Key policy insights Both city officials and members of the public who support climate action are more supportive of low-carbon transport than compact neighbourhoods. This represents a missed opportunity since dense housing complements low-carbon transport making it more cost-effective and efficient. Opposition to new housing in existing neighbourhoods is especially strong amongst homeowners (who possess disproportionate political power at the local level). Views on increased housing in existing neighbourhoods are not polarized along partisan lines, suggesting the possibility of bipartisan action at higher levels of government.

Evolutionary Game and Simulation Analysis of Participating Subjects in Remediation of Heavy Metal Contaminated Cultivated Land under the Ladder Multiple Supervision Model

The heavy metal pollution of cultivated land in China is severe, requiring remediation. Introducing third-party governance subjects representing market resources is inevitable to realize the specialization and socialization of cultivated land remediation. However, due to the public nature of cultivated land, the confusion about participating parties’ responsibilities and difficulty coordinating interests restrict the expected effect of cultivated land remediation. To this end, a three-party evolutionary game model among the grassroots government, governance enterprises, and supervisory enterprises is constructed and virtually simulated, taking into account the influence of random checks by the higher-level government. We found that the reward and punishment mechanism of the grassroots government, the frequency of random inspection by the higher-level government, and the amount of deduction will influence the strategy selection of the participating parties. Strengthening the awareness of the responsibility of the grassroots government, optimizing the incentive system, establishing a regular spot-check system, and improving the cost of non-compliance by enterprises can effectively resolve conflicts of interest among the participants. The study results have practical significance for further enhancing the remediation efficiency of heavy metal-contaminated cultivated land.

Creating adaptive social-ecological fit: The role of regional actors in the governance of Sea-level rise adaptation in San Francisco bay

Sea level rise is one of the most pressing climate adaptation issues around the world. Often, coastal communities are interdependent in their exposure to sea level rise – if one builds a seawall, it will push water to another – and would benefit from a coordinated adaptive response. The literature on social-ecological systems (SES) calls for actors placed at higher levels of governance (e.g. regional government in a metropolitan area) to improve coordination between local managers by serving as brokers. However, we lack empirical insight on how higher-level actors might improve coordination in practice, and theoretical development on the implications of their intermediation. To address these gaps, we study the case of adaptation to sea level rise in the San Francisco Bay Area. We build a social-ecological network of social actors and shoreline segments using original survey data and simulated scenarios of tidal and traffic interdependencies between shoreline segments. We perform a frequency analysis of network motifs that operationalize social-ecological ‘fit’ in the context of the Bay Area. We find that regional actors and non-governmental organizations increase social-ecological fit by providing intermediation between actors who work on different shoreline segments, whether interdependent or not. This shows that these actors provide adaptive social-ecological fit, future-proofing the Bay Area to current and future climate adaptation challenges.