Local Autonomy Research Articles

Cultural Media Diversity under Local Autonomy: Policies and Strategies to Promote Local Cultural Expression and Pluralism

The purpose of this study is to explore the impact of cultural media diversity on local cultural expression and pluralism under local autonomy, and to propose corresponding promotion strategies. The diversity performance of cultural media effectively promotes local cultural expression and the development of cultural diversity. The study explores: Whether cultural media diversity has an impact on local cultural expression under local autonomy; Whether cultural media diversity affects local cultural diversity; What role cultural media diversity plays in local cultural expression and pluralism; And what strategies can promote local cultural expression and pluralism under local autonomy. The study finds that the diversity of cultural media is positively correlated with the degree of local cultural expression and pluralism under local autonomy, and proposes strategies to promote local cultural expression and pluralism in the context of local autonomy. Among them, the formulation of policies to support the diversity of cultural media, support for the cultivation of cultural media talents, and the establishment of cultural media cooperation networks are considered to be effective driving factors. The proposed promotion strategies are of great significance for promoting the more comprehensive and diverse development of local culture, and can also help enhance the diversity and creativity of cultural media.

Integration of Teaching Resources for English Majors under Local Autonomy: Collaboration and Development

In the process of local social governance, educational resources are the basic conditions for social governance, so the integration of English education resources has become the main research aspect of local governments and educational institutions. The integration of key educational resources needs to be supported by local education policies, education systems and education laws, and the corresponding regulations and laws should be improved, and the English cognitive level of the public and the environmental governance of education need to be intervened by local governments, as well as the extensive participation of the public. Laws and regulations should be improved under the guidance of the government to provide support for the integration of English education resources, and the public should widely participate in the integration of educational resources of English majors under the publicity of educational resources, so as to form a good interactive relationship to provide support for local education governance. Therefore, the necessary conditions for the integration of local governments, legal institutions, education departments and the general public, military and local English education resources play a role in promoting the development level of English and the creation of a social environment.

Coordinate and Optimize Political Ideology, Curriculum Reform and Local Governance to Promote Sustainable Development

Local sustainable development is the main content and long-term goal of regional governance, but in the case of the unification of ideas, it is impossible to deeply develop the potential of sustainable development. Local governments should do a good job in ideological and political work and optimize resources in various ways. Therefore, this paper puts forward the following issues: 1) the relationship between the ideological and political curriculum reform and local governance in region A, 2) the synergy of various resources can promote the reform of the political ideology curriculum, and 3) the promotion and importance of synergy resources and political ideological reform to local governance. The results show that the ideological and political curriculum reform in region A can deepen local autonomy, and the optimization of collaborative resources can positively promote the political curriculum reform. However, the relationship between local governance and political thought courses is not a necessary condition. Synergistic resources and political and ideological reform can jointly promote local governance, and political and ideological reform is the main factor.

Extreme climate, local fiscal decentralization, and corporate sustainability

ABSTRACT Extreme weather events pose a significant threat to the sustainability of Chinese enterprises. This study investigates their impact on corporate sustainability and the moderating effect of local fiscal decentralization. Using a fixed-effects model with A-share listed companies from 2007–2021, it finds that extreme weather negatively impacts corporate sustainability, but fiscal decentralization mitigates this effect, notably in central-eastern regions and non-state enterprises. Recommendations include increasing local fiscal autonomy, accelerating SOE reforms, and enhancing environmental governance to bolster local governments’ climate resilience and foster overall economic and corporate sustainability.

Pentecostal Eschatology, Public Discourse and Political Engagement in Chile

This article explores the intricate evolution of Chilean Pentecostals from apolitical and socially detached citizens to ardent supporters of the country’s dictatorship. The aim is to challenge prevailing historical assumptions that explain the transformation through factors exogenous to the movement as well as long-held interpretations of their eschatological dispositions. It looks to revisit their early theological commitments and millennial concerns, complicating scholarly claims that the movement reflected a clear premillennialist orientation which has been held up to explain their enduring reluctance to enter the political sphere prior to the 1973 military coup. By examining early Pentecostal publications, this article reveals a religious movement shaped by pneumatological expressions, Methodist beliefs and local autonomy. Contrary to normative interpretations, it argues that Chilean Pentecostals’ longstanding unwillingness to engage in political change was not a forgone conclusion rooted in their theological commitments. Political engagement was always a possibility rather than a clear deviation. This research contributes to a more nuanced understanding of Chilean Pentecostalism, shedding light on the complex interplay of theology, historical context and scholarly interpretations that have shaped our understanding of the movement’s political trajectory.

Preemption in the Intergovernmental Trenches: Explaining Gubernatorial Preemption Style during COVID-19

Abstract During the COVID-19 pandemic, governors preempted local governments at unprecedented levels. A rich literature examines state preemption of local governments, but gubernatorial preemption – and the strategies governors use to do so – remain understudied. This paper examines what institutional and political factors influenced governors’ preemption style during the pandemic by analyzing a dataset of over 1,200 COVID-19 executive orders, classified by their style of preemption: ceiling, floor, or vacuum. Governors in states with high local autonomy rely on ceiling and floor preemptions. Republican governors are likelier to issue ceiling preemptions that bind local governments’ hands. Governors in states with ideologically dissimilar local governments tend to issue vacuum preemptions. When non-preempting previsions are dropped from the analysis, local autonomy does not significantly affect issuing one type of preemption over another. On the other hand, Republican governors are more likely to issue both ceiling and floor preemptions over vacuum preemptions. Governors in states with high ideological asymmetry are less likely to issue ceiling and floor preemptions over vacuum preemptions. These findings provide insight into gubernatorial behavior, interactions between state and local governments, and how theories of federalism can teach us more about how governments respond to crises.

Pursuing systemic improvement through heterarchical school systems: A case of educational resources

AbstractEngland's schooling landscape is being remodelled and the move from hierarchical to heterarchical modes of governance has implications for systemic change strategies. Balancing local and networked autonomy with centralising policies complexifies choices for schools, creating tensions that this article explores through the context of curriculum resourcing policies. In particular, we consider the contemporary case of mathematics textbook schemes in England's heterarchical school system, comparing them with an earlier resource‐driven systemic change programme—the National Numeracy Strategy—which was implemented in a more hierarchical governance system. Drawing on key ideas from implementation science and data from a Wellcome‐funded study of primary teacher professional learning in mathematics in England, we exemplify the challenges of implementing centralised improvement policies in a nominally schools‐led, self‐improving, heterarchical education system. Each of the 19 participating schools had evolved a bespoke curriculum, and these hybridised ‘mashups’ of different resources were enacted with varying degrees of fidelity by teachers. We discuss the implications of this comparative case for systemic improvement, both in the use of educational resources and for policy implementation more generally.

Strengthening local autonomy in development: composite budgeting, expenditure planning and implementation in Nanumba South district, Ghana

Strengthening local autonomy in development: composite budgeting, expenditure planning and implementation in Nanumba South district, Ghana

Community-based Islamic education: Democratizing learning through local wisdom

This study examines the role of community-based education in the context of Islam as a means of democratizing education and integrating local wisdom, motivated by the need for a more inclusive and responsive education system. Using a literature study method, this research analyzes primary and secondary sources related to Islamic education, democratization, and local wisdom. The results reveal that community-based education has strong historical and normative roots in Islamic tradition, reflected in various forms of traditional educational institutions such as mosques, kuttabs, and pesantrens. This educational model is proven to encourage active community participation, decentralization of decision-making, and integration of local values into the curriculum. However, its implementation faces challenges in balancing national standards with local autonomy, as well as potential conflicts between universal Islamic values and local cultural practices. This study highlights the complexity of integrating local wisdom into modern Islamic education in the era of globalization, paving the way for further research on optimal mechanisms for adapting this educational model to increasingly diverse Muslim societies.

지방교육자치의 현안 진단과 향후 과제

This study aims to diagnosis the current issues of local educational autonomy and reveal its future tasks. For this, the author analyze broadly the precedent articles and a lot of policy documents which have been produced by Ministry of Education, and so on. The results of this study are as follows. Firstly the author summarizes that the current issues, which have been observed since Yoon Suk Yeol Government(Yoon Government), are the following three catergories; ⑴ reorganizing of educational governance and minimizing of local educational automomy, ⑵ the conflict of local educational finance system, ⑶ controversy over superintendent electoral system. Secondly it is found that the first future task is the emancipation of the ideology of political neutrality of education, which is necessary for epistemological maintenance. Thirdly the second future task is the democratization of education (administration) that produces effective solving method of controversy over superintendent electoral system. Fourthly the third future task is the conversionary approach for innovating local educational finance system, which needs the open minded holistic approach.

정당현수막 설치ㆍ관리 사무와 관련된 조례의 적법 여부

The Constitution guarantees comprehensive autonomy for local governments, which includes the assurance of autonomous affairs. However, this constitutional value of guaranteeing autonomous affairs is often threatened by the distribution and management of duties centered around state affairs. In 2022, the National Assembly amended the “ACT ON THE MANAGEMENT OF OUTDOOR ADVERTISEMENTS AND PROMOTION OF OUTDOOR ADVERTISEMENT INDUSTRY” exempting regulations on party banners. If this amendment intends to separate the affairs related to the installation and management of party banners from the installation and management of the other outdoor advertisements, which fall under autonomous affairs, and classify them as state affairs, it becomes an example of threatening the guarantee of autonomous affairs. This study aims to review the classification system of affairs under LOCAL AUTONOMY ACT by analyzing a Supreme Court ruling that has highlighted this issue and to emphasize the importance of guaranteeing autonomous affairs. It is neither difficult to establish special provisions that limit the scope or effectiveness of autonomous affairs through legal amendments, nor is it impossible to strip autonomous affairs and convert them into state affairs. In such a situation where there is a threat to autonomous affairs, when amending laws related to autonomous affairs, it is necessary to ensure that the nature of autonomous affairs is maintained, and the interpretation of such amended laws should also aim to preserve the nature of autonomous affairs as much as possible.

새만금 지역의 관할구역 결정을 위한 법제도 개선방향

Regarding the decision of the district of local governments, it has been relatively clearly determined by the maritime boundary line on the National Basic Report (topographic map) by the Constitutional Court's competency dispute trial. Currently, it is a dispute settlement system that does not recognize the customary legal effect of the maritime boundary line and resolves it by filing a complaint with the Supreme Court. Article 5 (formerly Article 4) of the Local Autonomy Act states that there is no legal boundary for the district of local governments and that it is subject to the former, and there are no clear regulations under the current law. The decision of the Central Dispute Mediation Committee, the decision of the Supreme Court, and the decision of the Constitutional Court are not judged based on objective and substantive standards. In accordance with the principle of equity, local governments' district decisions are made by applying various factors of consideration set by each judgment agency. As a result, conflicts continue between local governments over the jurisdiction over maritime or public water landfill sites. The revision of the Local Autonomy Act in 2009 seemed to create a new breakthrough, but the revision of the Local Autonomy Act in 2009 is amplifying rather than reducing disputes, and problems in system design and operation are being revealed. Even with the full revision of the Local Autonomy Act in 2021, only the provisions were moved from Articles 4 to 5 without any fundamental improvement in this area. Article 6 was newly established to require the Minister of Public Administration and Security to apply for mediation if the boundaries of the area are unclear, and in such cases, the formation of an autonomous consultative body was requested to establish a procedural regulation that forced consultations within a certain period of time. It is unclear whether such an autonomous consultative body will be effective in resolving conflicts between local governments only through autonomous consultations without attempts to promote negotiations by a third neutral institution or mediator. This is because these voluntary consultative bodies are merely a preliminary negotiation channel for the deliberations and decisions of the Central Dispute Settlement Commission or the local dispute settlement commission. Even the Central Dispute Settlement Commission, the Supreme Court, and the Constitutional Court make decisions on jurisdictional determinations based on a combination of factors set by the judicial bodies themselves, rather than the substantive standards set by law. This seems to be in line with the principle of equity by making a comprehensive judgment, but the factors to be prioritized vary from one institution to another, which leads to legal instability and ultimately to a lack of approval until a judicial conclusion is reached. It is also a problem that the filing period to the Supreme Court is only 15 days, and the judgment by the Supreme Court, which is a judicial decision, is also operated as a single-judgment system to investigate facts, so it is necessary to change the system to a two-judgment system that appeals to the Supreme Court after going through the High Court instead of filing directly to the Supreme Court. It seems like a step forward compared to the previous system of resolving disputes over the jurisdiction of local governments over the Saemangeum landfill through the deliberation and decision of the Central Dispute Mediation Committee, the decision of the Minister of the Interior and Safety, and the final decision of the Supreme Court.

A Practitioner’s Guide to the Illinois Comprehensive Literacy Plan, and Implications for the Advanced, Accelerated, High Potential, and Gifted Literacy Learner

This is the first of a two-part series that will support an understanding of the Illinois Comprehensive Literacy Plan (ICLP) and its use in districts and schools with an asset-based mindset of flexibility and local autonomy. The ICLP was crafted and designed as a core literacy initiative. The Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE), with support and input from educators across the state, used the outline and guidelines of Illinois Public Act 103-0402, including directives that support the differentiation of literacy instruction in a no one-size-fits-all philosophy of literacy instruction. After an overview that includes highlights of the ICLP, the instructional focus for this series will be on how the population of advanced, accelerated, high potential, or gifted literacy learners, who are present in all demographics and economic strata, have a home in the ILCP through the Goals, Values, and Seven Competencies of Literacy.

LOCAL FINANCES IN WESTERN BALKAN COUNTRIES: FOCUS ON OWN -SOURCE REVENUES AND CAPITAL INVESTMENTS

This study examines the fiscal dynamics of local governments’ finances in the Western Balkan countries, focusing on their own source revenues and capital investments, made from the municipalities. While spending for capital investment has increased in nominal terms, the share of municipal spending on capital investments has been downwardly unstable over the past 16 years. In addition to central government transfers, several significant factors contribute to the determination of municipal own-source revenues, including central and local public investment, current expenditures, and municipal development index. The study reveals that capital investment depends on its own source revenues or capital transfers from the central government, where local capital expenditure emerges as a robust determinant, exerting a stronger influence on municipal fiscal autonomy compared to central government investments. This finding underscores the importance of local capital expenditure in enhancing fiscal independence at the local level. This research emphasizes the need for a comprehensive understanding of investment allocation, development indicators, and promoting local revenue mobilization. The findings suggest that enhancing local fiscal autonomy requires a shift in policy focus towards stimulating local capital expenditure and prioritizing human development. By identifying the factors that influence municipal own-source revenues, this study provides valuable insights for local management in strengthening the financial capacities of local governments in the Western Balkan countries.

Social care provision for older adults in China: Regional disparities and driving factors

AbstractIn the context of rapid ageing, the scale and distribution of social care resources for older adults in China are undergoing significant changes. Based on the macroscopic samples of the National Statistical Yearbooks from 2011 to 2021, this study examines the regional disparities, dynamic evolution, and drivers of social care provision for older adults in China. The results reveal that while the overall level of social care provision for older adults has consistently improved, significant regional disparities persist. The most abundant social care resources have long been concentrated in the economically prosperous coastal regions. Although overall disparities have shown a fluctuating downward trend over time, the absolute gaps across certain economic regions continue to widen. Furthermore, this study identifies several driving factors behind senior social care provision, including regional economic conditions, government preferences for welfare fiscal expenditure, regional consumption patterns, and urbanisation rates. However, the increase in local financial autonomy has a negative impact on the provision of social care for older adults. The findings highlight the importance of developing a more scientific fiscal oversight mechanism, creating region‐specific policies, and addressing the needs of older migrants to achieve the goal of equalising social care provision for older adults.

Governance dynamics and local autonomy in large-scale governmental funding: The case of Sweden’s campaign to improve equity

This article analyses the Swedish case of the government’s funding for equity, which annually provides over 600 million euros to improve equity. Being one of the largest funding schemes ever for work towards educational equity it also provides full autonomy for local education authorities (LEAs) to use the money at their discretion. By studying local decisions through interviews and analysing applications and plans in nine cases, we deepen our understanding of governance relations between state, LEAs and schools. Our findings show that funding is used mostly for general purposes, rather than for specific measures to improve equity. Dynamics of governance that mitigate improvements in equity are also found. LEAs take advantage of their position as receivers and distributors of the funding to local schools, deciding what equity is and how to invest in improving it, rather than passing funds to their school units and let them decide on its use.

한국과 일본의 중앙지방협력회의법의 비교연구

The National-Local Cooperation Council Act is the “Act on the Composition and Operation between the National and Local Government Cooperation Council (hereinafter referred to as the National-Local Cooperation Council” in Korea, and the “Act on Place of consultation between National and Local Government” in Japan. The purpose of enacting the National-Local Government Cooperation Council Act in Korea is to determine matters necessary for the composition and operation between the National and Local Government Cooperation Council, which is established to strengthen communication and cooperation between the state and local governments and to deliberate on important policies related to balanced development between local autonomy and regions. The purpose of enacting the Act on the Place of Japanese Consultation is to promote effective and efficient national and local government policies in consultation with relevant ministers and local representatives on the planning, formulation and implementation of national policies affecting local autonomy. The venue for consultation in Japanese law means a place of opportunity for the state (National government) and provinces to exchange opinions on an equal footing, that is, a “place of joint decision” through mutual consultation (meeting), and does not refer to a specific administrative agency. Korea's National and Local Government Cooperation Council is used in the same sense as the venue for Japan's consultation. Comparing the purpose of enacting the two laws, Japan, as the legal name implies, focuses on the meaning that the National and Local governments consult to effectively and efficiently promote specific policies, while Korea includes balanced regional development beyond the scope of discussing other policies, including the purpose of Japan's enactment. It can be said that the purpose of enacting the law is much wider and more diverse. Although Korea and Japan have slightly different legal names, this study aims to analyze the pros and cons of the National and Local Government Cooperation Council Act, which has similar legislative objectives and contents, and derive suggestions for Korean law.

지방의회 정책지원관제도의 운영실태 분석:지방의회 자치법규를 중심으로

In the 30 years since the revival of local autonomy, the Local Self-Government Act has made significant progress through the introduction and supplementation of systems related to resident autonomy and organizational autonomy. In the process, local demands and the transfer of authority from the center were negotiated and struggled for, and were incorporated into the law and system one by one, culminating in the complete revision of the Local Self-Government Act in January 2021. The basis for the operation of local council policy support officers was also laid at this time, and the policy support officer system was introduced in response to the demand for responsibility and authority to 'strengthen local council professionalism' and is currently operating within the range of one in two local council members. Research on local council policy support professionals has been conducted steadily before the introduction of the policy support officer system, and after the introduction of the system, studies have centered on the effectiveness of the system, but comparative studies on the autonomy law, which is the basis for the operation of the system, are rare. Therefore, this study examines the issues surrounding the policy support officer before and after the introduction of the policy support officer system, and draws out the main issues through a comparative analysis of the operation of the policy support officer system based on the autonomy law. The results showed that the main issues surrounding the policy support officer system, which was introduced to improve the professionalism of local councils' legislative activities, are: (i) similar organizations, (ii) the scope of duties, (iii) performance evaluation, and (iv) office management process.

DECENTRALIZATION DYNAMICS: ASSESSING LOCAL GOVERNMENT PERFORMANCE IN LINGGA

This study examines the implementation of decentralization in Lingga, Indonesia, focusing on the performance of the local government (Pemda) and its impacts on community engagement and public service delivery. Utilizing a qualitative case study approach, the research reveals both significant successes and ongoing challenges associated with decentralization. While increased local autonomy has fostered greater community participation and responsiveness to local needs, persistent issues such as financial dependency, bureaucratic inefficiencies, and geographic isolation hinder effective governance. The findings highlight disparities in public service access, particularly for marginalized communities in remote areas. The study contributes to the broader discourse on decentralization by emphasizing the need for context-specific policies that address local realities. Based on these insights, several policy recommendations are proposed, including enhanced financial support for local governments, capacity-building initiatives for local officials, and the development of inclusive governance mechanisms. These measures aim to strengthen the implementation of decentralization in Lingga, ensuring that it delivers equitable and effective governance outcomes for all residents.

Evaluation of Decentralisation Policy: Impact on Regional Development

This study evaluates the impact of decentralisation policies on regional development, focusing on the redistribution of administrative powers from central to local governments. Decentralisation is often implemented with the aim of improving governance, promoting local autonomy, and enhancing public service delivery. This research explores how these policies have influenced economic growth, infrastructure development, and social welfare at the regional level. Using a mixed-methods approach, including quantitative analysis of regional development indicators and qualitative case studies, the findings reveal a complex relationship between decentralisation and regional outcomes. While some regions have experienced significant improvements in governance efficiency and socio-economic conditions, others continue to face challenges such as uneven resource distribution and capacity constraints. The study concludes with policy recommendations aimed at optimizing decentralisation frameworks to ensure balanced and sustainable regional development.