Political Priorities Research Articles

Generating Political Priority for the Health Needs of the 21st Century: A Qualitative Policy Analysis on the Prioritization of Rehabilitation Services in Uganda.

Few low- or middle-income countries (LMICs) have prioritized the expansion of rehabilitation services. Existing scholarship has identified that problem definition, governance, and structural factors are influential in the prioritization of rehabilitation. The objective of this study was to identify the factors influencing the prioritization and implementation of rehabilitation services in Uganda. A case study design was utilized. The Prioritization of Rehabilitation in National Health Systems framework guided the study. Data sources included 33 key informant interviews (KIIs) with governmental and non-governmental stakeholders and peer-reviewed and grey literature on rehabilitation in Uganda. A thematic content analysis and concept map were conducted to analyze the data. Rehabilitation is an unfunded priority in Uganda, garnering political attention but failing to receive adequate financial or human resource allocation. The national legacy of rehabilitation as a social program, instead of a health program, has influenced its present-day prioritization trajectory. These include a fragmented governance system, a weak advocacy coalition without a unified objective or champion, and a lack of integration into existing health systems structures that makes it challenging to scale-up service provision. Our findings highlight the interactive influences of structural, governance, and framing factors on prioritization and the importance of historical context in understanding both prioritization and implementation. Our findings demonstrate challenges in prioritizing emerging, multi-sectoral health areas like rehabilitation. Strategic considerations for elevating rehabilitation on Uganda's policy agenda include generating credible indicators to quantify the nature and extent of the population's need and uniting governmental and non-governmental actors around a common vision for rehabilitation's expansion. We present opportunities for strengthening rehabilitation, both in Uganda and in similar contexts grappling with many health sector priorities and limited resources.

Comparing COVID–19 Budgeting Responses: New Budgeting Principles that Resulted from the Pandemic

This study provides a comparative analysis of the budget limits of the Commonwealth of Independent States members, focusing on fiscal responses to the COVID crisis and options for improving the structure. The methodology comprised a statistical approach based on assessments of macroeconomic indicators for 2020–2021, as well as world rankings and several measurement systems. The following new budgeting principles were formulated as a result of the comparative analysis of public administration. The proposed principles focus on monitoring, assessing, and forecast data of long‑term sustainability management and other fiscal risks. The proposed budgeting principles could provide a country with the new opportunities needed to expand its potential during further economic advancement in global politics. The central result of this work is a renewed approach to budget management using data on the actual economic situation and adaptability to changes. The proposed budget management scheme lays the foundation for the future development of a country’s potential and aligns with the priority goals of the CIS member states in terms of democracy. The value of this research lies in presenting and summarizing the analysis of the budget management system and the detailing of budgetary policies to identify and reflect the political priorities of countries. This helps formulate recommendations and suggestions for improving the budgetary process, achieving a balanced distribution of resources, and attaining strategic development goals. The practical application of the findings will allow budget policy specialists, economists, and statisticians to become familiar with the changes in the institutional landscape amid COVID–19 and assess the situation in their region through the prism of administrative sovereignties.

The “War of Resistance against Japan”: Shaping the Image of the Aggressor by the Chinese Communist Party

The Sino-Japanese War of 1937–1945, known in China as the “War of Resistance against Japan”, remains an integral part of the official rhetoric of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). Considering the key role of the War of Resistance in understanding the perception of Japan by China today, this article studies the formation of Japan’s image by the CCP during and after the war. The research is based on official publications of the CCP, statements of party leaders, and works by Russian and foreign researchers. The first part deals with the perception of Japan by the communists during the war. Particular attention here is paid to the importance of the context of the Chinese Civil War and the global revolutionary and class struggle in shaping of the image of the aggressor. The second part traces the evolution of Japan’s image following the changes in political priorities of the CCP after the war and the increasing prominence of the “victimization narrative” in China in recent decades. The third part illustrates the connection of historical memory to the current problems of Sino-Japanese relations and reveals the role of Japan’s image in contemporary political rhetoric of the CCP. The analysis clearly demonstrates the influence of political and ideological factors on the formation of the image of the aggressor. At the same time, it is obvious that the complexity of Japan's perception intrinsic to the war period in China remains up to the present day.

The Welfare State: The Challenges of Sustainability

It is nothing new that ‘the welfare state’ faces serious challenges. Ever since the 1970s, Western welfare states have by many researchers been regarded as being in crisis, but despite many policy adjustments and important variations among Western welfare states, the overall scope of the welfare state, as measured by social expenditure per capita, has by and large increased. At the same time, we can observe a globalization of social policy and the emergence of a more active social role of the state in many parts of the world during recent decades. But new challenges due to a variety of new security issues and new dimensions of uncertainty have appeared, not least following the unanticipated Russian large-scale invasion of and war on Ukraine and concomitant international political developments. Political unease about the future of the welfare state and scope of social policies in different parts of the world has escalated. Welfare political priorities must compete with increased priorities for defense, cyber security, and issues related to energy, climate, food, and the environment. Motivations for state responsibility for citizen welfare and well-being – as well as for the type and scope of responsibility - vary. The fate of the welfare state and social policies is clearly a question of political and normative commitment to what kind of socially active state is desired. The paper addresses the following topics: Why should a state be socially active? What were historical reasons for developing welfare states? What are current motivations for developing and maintaining welfare states? What are the economic, political, and moral dimensions of welfare state sustainability? In addition to possible national political responses to social challenges, it is argued that in a globalized world reinforced international cooperation, coordination and regulation may be necessary to achieve sustainability of (national) welfare states.

Angels at the Top, Rocks at the Bottom: Naturalized Inequality in Brazilian Conservative Thought

Racialized social inequality is considered a structural problem in Brazil and has been a political priority of recent progressist governments. This understanding is not backed up by the so-called New Right, who understands inequality as an inherent principle of a God-given “order” and question of personal capability and merit. In this study, I explore the ideological roots of this powerful Rightist narrative by looking at the Brazilian canon of traditional conservative thought and its influence on New Right discourse. The results show that the core ideas stem from neo-Thomist interpretations of late-scholastic scholarship, which were promoted in Brazil through the Vatican’s integrist reaction to modernization during the First Republic. Since then, Brazilian conservatives have successfully used these religious legitimizations of naturalized inequality to constrain State-driven social reformism and join forces with neoliberalism through the invention of the supposed late scholastic roots of the Austrian School of Economics. After redemocratization, a recycled version of this liberal-conservative claim for less “State” and more “Brazil” (as guided by theocratic traditional order), promoted mainly by the philosopher and online influencer Olavo de Carvalho, has fueled the desecularizing discourse of the New Right and their attempt to conserve the colonial social hierarchy in Brazil.

The subject matter of administrative law as a basic category For distinguishing sectoral principles of administrative law

Problem setting. Administrative law as a fundamental branch of public law is a necessary tool in regulating the activities of public administration bodies, public organizations, enterprises, institutions, and organizations. Its influence is constantly felt by specific individuals. Norms of administrative law protect relations formed under the influence of civil, labor, financial and other branches of law. In recent years, administrative law has been in a state of transformation, a new ideology of relations between the state and the citizen is being formed, the administrative legal doctrine is undergoing fundamental changes, and administrative legislation is being updated. As a result, administrative law has turned from the law of state management into a branch that normatively defines and regulates the rights and obligations of public administration in relation to subjects of civil society. Analysis of recent researches and publications. A significant number of scientists dealt with issues of administrative law, its subject, principles, among which it is worth mentioning the works of such scientists as: V. B. Averyanov, Yu. P. Bityak, V. V. Galunko, R. S. Melnyk, A. A. Pukhtetska and others. However, despite the rather large number of works, questions related to the generalization of scientific positions, which highlight the subject of administrative law as a basic category for determining industry precepts, remain in most cases outside the attention of researchers, which makes it possible to talk about the need to carry out such research. The purpose of research is to clarify the role of the subject of administrative law as a basic category for determining the branch principles of administrative law. Article’s main body. The article is devoted to the peculiarities of the subject of administrative law as a fundamental criterion for determining the principles of administrative law. Of fundamental importance for updating the concept of the subject of administrative law were two theoretical conclusions that were made in the development of the ideas of the Concept of Administrative Reform in Ukraine. The transformation of the subject of administrative law is a factor in updating the content and classification of the principles of administrative law. The subject of administrative law is social relations that arise for the purpose of realizing and protecting the rights of citizens, creation of normal conditions for the functioning of civil society and the state. It follows that the main task of administrative law is to create a priority of legal conditions for ensuring by public administration the rights, freedoms and interests of man and citizen in the sphere of public administration. The subject of administrative law is a wide complex of social relations that arise in connection with the implementation of the functions of the state executive power, the content of which is the management of society. Ukraine’s new management model (with adapted principles of Good Governance) should be aimed at maximizing the scope of public participation in governance, ensuring that economic, social and political priorities are based on consensus in such a way that the voices of all citizens, even the poorest and most socially disadvantaged population groups were taken into account when making state decisions. The article emphasizes the fact that principles are the leading category in the administrative law of all continental European countries. The principles reveal the content of law, reveal the essence of law, its foundations, as well as the regularities of social life and needs, and highlight trends. In the theory of law, the principles of law mean the most general and stable requirements that contribute to the establishment and protection of social values, determine the nature of law and the direction of its further development. Conclusions and prospects for development. The principles of law are a natural phenomenon of legal science, which in their essence are universal and reflect modern approaches to their interpretation. In modern conditions, the principles of law have a universal character, as they must be taken into account by law-making subjects during the creation of norms for the legal regulation of social relations. The peculiarities of the subject of administrative law provide grounds for a new approach to updating and characterizing the principles of administrative law resulting from interdependence and influence on each other.

ПРОБЛЕМЫ МОЛОДЁЖИ НА РЫНКЕ ТРУДА

The article examines young people›s participation in the labor market and in society, which is critical not only to their personal economic prospects and well-being, but also to overall growth and social cohesion. The results of the analysis indicate that investment in youth is a social and political priority. The article analyzes studies of the strengths and weaknesses of young people, identifi es some problems, and proposes solutions to problems. With adequate social policy skills, young people have the opportunity to realize their potential and remain confi dent in their future prospects.

Challenges for research uptake for health policymaking and practice in low- and middle-income countries: a scoping review

BackgroundAn estimated 85% of research resources are wasted worldwide, while there is growing demand for context-based evidence-informed health policymaking. In low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), research uptake for health policymaking and practice is even lower, while little is known about the barriers to the translation of health evidence to policy and local implementation. We aimed to compile the current evidence on barriers to uptake of research in health policy and practice in LMICs using scoping review.MethodsThe scoping review followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analyses-extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR) and the Arksey and O'Malley framework. Both published evidence and grey literature on research uptake were systematically searched from major databases (PubMed, Cochrane Library, CINAHL (EBSCO), Global Health (Ovid)) and direct Google Scholar. Literature exploring barriers to uptake of research evidence in health policy and practice in LMICs were included and their key findings were synthesized using thematic areas to address the review question.ResultsA total of 4291 publications were retrieved in the initial search, of which 142 were included meeting the eligibility criteria. Overall, research uptake for policymaking and practice in LMICs was very low. The challenges to research uptake were related to lack of understanding of the local contexts, low political priority, poor stakeholder engagement and partnership, resource and capacity constraints, low system response for accountability and lack of communication and dissemination platforms.ConclusionImportant barriers to research uptake, mainly limited contextual understanding and low participation of key stakeholders and ownership, have been identified. Understanding the local research and policy context and participatory evidence production and dissemination may promote research uptake for policy and practice. Institutions that bridge the chasm between knowledge formation, evidence synthesis and translation may play critical role in the translation process.

The Importance of Realism about Gender Kinds: Lessons from Beauvoir

Abstract Beauvoir’s The Second Sex stands out as a master class in the accommodation of conceptual and inferential practices to real, objective gender kinds. Or so I will argue. To establish this framing, we will first need in hand the kind of scientific epistemology that correctly reconciles epistemic progress and error, particularly as pertains to the unruly social sciences. An important goal of the paper is to develop that epistemological framework and unlock its ontological implications for the domain of gender. As we will see, the real gender kinds that contemporary social scientists successfully identify and track are very much the same kinds to which Beauvoir was coordinating reference in The Second Sex. The correct identification of those kinds endures as a moral and political priority, regardless of one’s other gender-related normative agenda.

The political economy of electricity system resource adequacy and renewable energy integration: A comparative study of Britain, Italy and California

The need to integrate growing shares of variable renewable resources, like solar and wind, into the power system has initiated a new wave of resource adequacy policy reforms. Securing adequate resources on the system, particularly flexible and peak capacity, is indeed crucial for ensuring long-term grid reliability amid increased supply variability. While extensively explored from a techno-economic perspective, the political economy drivers and implications of these changes are frequently overlooked. Yet, power system evolution is not merely shaped by logics of techno-economic optimisation, it is also inherently political, rooted in specific liberalisation histories, political and institutional settings.This paper contributes to the literature by conducting a comparative political economy analysis of recent resource adequacy reforms in Britain, Italy, and California. It explores how differences in the technical and political economy contexts of these jurisdictions affected their strategies for securing resource adequacy capacity and investment between 2013 and 2021. Conclusions draw on the analysis of over 134 policy documents and 53 in-depth interviews with power system stakeholders.All jurisdictions introduced significant changes in resource adequacy policy, including explicit out-of-market mechanisms to remunerate resource adequacy capacity. The energy transition is thus reconfiguring state-market relations in the power sector, even in traditionally liberal countries. However, variation exists in the scope of reform, mechanism designs, policy trade-offs, and technological outcomes. This stems from context-specific political priorities, state-market relations, national and multi-level governance arrangements, market structures and stakeholder interests. This has important implications for power sector governance, as discussed in this paper.

The golden rule for prioritisation of treatment for substance use and mental health care – a qualitative study

For many years there has been broad political agreement on prioritising substance use treatment and mental health care in the specialist health service. Between 2014 and 2021, the 'golden rule' applied, meaning that there should be higher relative growth in mental health care and interdisciplinary specialised substance use treatment compared to somatic healthcare services. This study aimed to investigate the understanding among Norwegian health leaders and bureaucrats of the golden rule's role in the prioritisation of resources to the field of substance use and psychiatry in the specialist health service. The study is based on a one-year ethnographic study of priority-setting in Norwegian health trusts and bureaucracy. Documents, observations of meetings and twelve qualitative in-depth interviews were analysed using a qualitative discourse method. The golden rule contributed to an increased investment in substance use treatment and mental health care in the health trusts, according to health leaders. However, the golden rule was only one of many competing and at times conflicting guidelines they had to take into account. Many factors impeded higher growth in substance use treatment and mental health care compared to somatic health care. Several participants argued that it was impossible to follow the golden rule. The inability to achieve the goal was explained by demographic trends, funding arrangements and lack of follow-up of the rule. Healthcare priorities are set in institutions that have to consider numerous political interests and social mandates. The study's findings illustrate the complexity of practical implementation of political priorities.

Common sense as identity health: toward a reflection on the russian-Ukrainian war

In the broadest sense, the purpose of the article can be defined as outlining the relationship between common sense and national identity in the context of the russian-Ukrainian war. The subject specificity emphasizes the problem of forming and nurturing the mental field of modern russians as a painful state of their identity: common sense as a marker of identity health. The article structurally reflects and develops the idea of the study of common sense as a phenomenon that affects the formation of identity, which was first presented in the study "Identity Security: from the Problems of Sectoral Definition to the Peculiarities of Didactic Definition" (ISBN: 978-617-7600-61-8). The methodological basis is the phenomenological guideline for direct study of the situation, which in this study is specified as a systematic analysis of experience that conveys value and political priorities. The authors propose three contexts of analysis – semantic, practical philosophy, and philosophy of knowledge – according to which they establish criteria for determining the state of health of identity. Concluding that it is important to constantly analyze the mental field of modern russians, the authors point out that this is a matter for a special research complex of human security. The conclusion is the thesis that the modern russian identity is "sick" with a worldview disease, and that its "treatment" must take place through the shared responsibility of all russians, through their repentance and rethinking. The key provisions of the article were developed in an ongoing discussion and academic dialog between the authors.

Courtroom workgroup dynamics and implementation of Three Strikes reform

AbstractIn 2012, California's voters passed a ballot initiative that scaled back the state's “Three Strikes” sentencing law and permitted certain individuals who were serving 25‐to‐life prison terms to petition for resentencing and potentially release. Using analysis of original qualitative interview data supplemented with court administrative records, this study examines how characteristics of courtroom workgroup members; their intergroup dynamics; political, professional, and administrative considerations; and allocated resources were perceived by court officials to facilitate or impede the implementation of this reform in county courts. Availability of staff and budget was associated with a higher proportion of completed case dispositions in the first 2 years of implementation, but resources were not the only factor associated with timely case processing. Courtroom actors' seniority, experience, and professional security facilitated agreement on processes, schedules, and other details. Small, stable, close‐knit groups established routine procedures and developed expertise more quickly, but could not always avoid bottlenecks or delays. Less stable workgroups had higher rates of denial of petitions for resentencing. Positions toward Proposition 36 shaped by political, professional, or other priorities were perceived to influence some elected DAs' positions and line prosecutors' behavior, manifesting in cooperation, opposition, or mixed messages.

Integrating host-country political heterogeneity into MNE–state bargaining: insights from international political economy

The international business (IB) literature has emphasised the heterogeneity of firm strategies in shaping MNE–state bargaining, but largely ignored the heterogeneity of states. In contrast, the international political economy (IPE) literature provides a more nuanced consideration of state strategies and their economic and political priorities. We seek to address this oversight by making two related contributions. In the context of MNE–state bargaining, we first discuss how differences in political systems and the political and economic objectives of states may affect their negotiating stance with MNEs. We consider the impact of changes in the balance of state objectives by considering how much importance governments assign to improving the welfare of its broader population, relative to how important they are concerned with the “private benefits” that accrue to the political elites. This enables us to add micro-foundations to the characterisation of the state. Second, we apply a Nash bargaining framework to MNE–state negotiations that vividly captures the relative bargaining powers of the MNE and the state, including how “outside options” available to these two actors can influence the shape of actual bargains. We discuss the implications of these two contributions for future research.

The neoliberal multicultural state and the urban Indigenous associative model in Santiago de Chile.

This article argues that since the recovery of democracy in Chile in the early 1990s, the state has been reshaping the Indigenous socio-political landscape by adopting neoliberal multiculturalism as a governance model. By not posing significant challenges to the state's neoliberal political and economic priorities, Indigenous cultural activity has been carefully channelled to meet state expectations of what constitutes urban indigeneity. Drawing on the minority and multicultural studies literature and ongoing ethnographic fieldwork, this article analyses how Mapuche civil society navigates the complexities of two relational models of state/ethnic minority interaction: ethno-bureaucracy and strategic essentialism. Although Mapuche associations have tried to accommodate their interests within the limits of neoliberal multiculturalism, the article argues that this governance model has established incentives for inclusion and exclusion in the socio-political apparatus, resulting in a fragmentation of the Mapuche associative landscape in urban Chile.

Renewables, taxes and competitive markets: the role of energy policies on the EU’s sustainable energy consumption

AbstractIn recent years, the European Union has made sustainable consumption and production a political priority, to address economic and social development within the capacity of the ecosystem. To this end, it has put in place several actions related to resource efficiency, energy taxation and the promotion of renewable energies. This has been positive in terms of production, but less progress has been achieved in consumption. Greater understanding of the factors that influence sustainable energy consumption is particularly important. This paper investigates the effects of energy demand policies (energy taxes) and energy supply policies (renewable energies development, competitive energy markets and eco-innovation) on sustainable energy consumption in the EU-28 from 2008 to 2019. This research employs a panel data model to investigate the study’s hypotheses. Our results show that energy tax policies and clean energy have reduced energy intensity. However, electricity prices have been the greatest determinant in reducing total energy consumption. In light of its findings, this paper makes recommendations for several crucial measures for sustainable energy consumption to policymakers. Graphical abstract

Feasibility of introducing effective alcohol harms reduction strategies in a low regulation region: A qualitative study from Hong Kong

To counter the harms of excessive alcohol use, the World Health Organization (WHO) outlined a series of alcohol policy recommendations, including the most cost-effective “Best Buys”. This study aims to obtain key stakeholder views on feasibility of implementing various publicly endorsed alcohol policies in Hong Kong, a relatively low alcohol consumption region with few extant alcohol regulations. Between 2019 and 2021, we conducted semi-structured interviews with stakeholders involved in alcohol policy adoption and implementation. Interviewees included hospitality/alcohol sales workers (n = 13) and government officers (n = 4). The stakeholders noted that although WHO advocacy facilitated local policy considerations, the adoption of stringent measures was challenged by low political priority due to the low visibility of harms. For implementing strategies, the stakeholders cited alignment with social norms as a major facilitator, whereas law enforcement difficulties and resistance from industry/business sectors were viewed as major obstacles. There was a general belief that population-level alcohol policies would be effective for certain groups of drinkers but would also harm the local economy and detract from Hong Kong's image as a “world city”. Hong Kong may not be ready to adopt a wide range of highly restrictive population-level alcohol policies. Local governments should carefully consider contextual factors when following international recommendations.

Outer Space Exploration and the Sustainability of the Space Environment – An Uneasy Relationship

In contrast with the early years of space flight that were dominated by the political priorities and military concerns of the two superpowers, the USA and the then Soviet Union, a new space era has dawned where not only states are involved as serious actors in the space arena, but also private companies. Because of the significant increase in the number of space actors, outer space is becoming a congested and competitive environment. It is self-evident that the significant increase in private and state-sponsored space ventures has serious implications for the protection and sustainability of the outer space environment. Specifically, the proliferation of space debris and the current lack of protection of vulnerable scientific, historical, and cultural sites on celestial bodies are issues of concern. Several measures to balance the seemingly competing interests of space exploration and the sustainability of the space environment have been suggested. This article aims to discuss these measures and to assess to what extent they are in conformity with the current outer space governance regime. It is concluded that the measures suggested to actively address the space debris problem and to protect the cultural heritage in space may contravene the Outer Space Treaty, especially the rules and prohibitions regarding property rights in space. Moreover, whilst the removal of orbital debris is essential to ensure the sustainable use of the outer space environment, some space junk may have cultural significance and be worthy of protection. A balance should thus be struck between preserving cultural heritage and managing the risks posed by space debris. It is therefore recommended that the development of interim soft-law rules (and an eventual treaty) should be undertaken under the auspices of existing United Nations bodies, namely the UNCOPUOS and UNESCO.

НАПРЯМИ КООРДИНАЦІЇ НОРМАТИВНОГО РЕГУЛЮВАННЯ ВІДПОВІДАЛЬНОГО (ESG) ІНВЕСТУВАННЯ У СВІТІ: ФРАГМЕНТАЦІЯ ЧИ УНІФІКАЦІЯ?

To date, processes of regulatory coordination of responsible or ESG (Environmental, Social, and Corporate Governance) investing are characterized by a combination of fragmentation and unification efforts. On the one hand, there is a noticeable degree of fragmentation of the regulatory landscape for responsible investing. At the level of different regions and countries, their own regulatory frameworks, standards and guidelines for disclosure of ESG information and sustainability reporting are being actively developed and improved. In particular, the European Union (EU), Great Britain, the USA and Canada, some countries of the Asia-Pacific region (Australia, China, Hong Kong, New Zealand, Singapore, etc.) have made special progress. For example, the EU has taken a significant step with the introduction of the so-called triad of regulatory instruments: the Sustainability Taxonomy, the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) and the Sustainable Finance Disclosure Regulation (SFDR), aimed at standardizing ESG reporting and classifying investments in sustainable development in member countries. This fragmentation creates difficulties for investors and companies operating in different jurisdictions as they must navigate and comply with different requirements. On the other hand, efforts to unify and harmonize ESG disclosure and regulatory rules are increasing. Recognizing the global nature of ESG challenges, international organizations are working to establish common principles and standards. Initiatives such as the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI), the International Sustainability Standards Board (ISSB), the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD) have gained prominence worldwide, promoting transparency and consistency ESG reporting. While the trend toward unification is promising, achieving full regulatory coordination of responsible investing remains challenging. Different political priorities, cultural and economic differences between countries prevent the creation of a universally recognized regulatory framework. However, the growing recognition of the importance of ESG and the collective efforts of stakeholders around the world indicate a gradual convergence towards more coherent ESG regulations.

Credibility building in the sovereign debt market: Evidence from prewar China

AbstractThis paper qualitatively and quantitatively examines the development of the sovereign debt market in Prewar China under different governments. During the Beijing Era (1912–26), accompanied by the establishment of necessary financial institutions, the sovereign debt market emerged to meet fiscal needs. Surprisingly, the Nationalist government, in power from 1927, successfully cultivated a robust market characterized by its expanding size and liquidity. Setting itself apart from its predecessors, the government established credibility as a borrower in two key ways. Firstly, it demonstrated unwavering commitment to debt service by settling previous debts and offering well‐structured new ones, even during challenging times. Furthermore, the government escrowed fiscal revenue, pledged for debt repayments, to a semi‐independent committee of private bankers on behalf of debtholders, enhancing public confidence. Secondly, the government showcased its ability to secure tax revenues for debt repayments. However, starting from 1931/2, the debt market experienced a decline due to the government's compromised ability to pay resulting from external wars and shifting political priorities that weakened its commitment to debt repayments. Empirical evidence confirms the market's responsiveness to regime shifts and policy changes. This paper sheds light on how a nascent autocratic government can successfully borrow from the public.