Local Government Reform Research Articles

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.

Negotiating Urban Development in Africa: Transnational Communities of Embedded Support in Dar es Salaam

ABSTRACTThis article brings together recent debates in urban and development studies to illuminate the understudied politics and compromise involved in the rollout of globally funded urban development in Africa. The argument presented builds on a detailed analysis of the World Bank's urban development portfolio in Tanzania, with a specific focus on the Dar es Salaam Metro‐politan Development Project, to draw attention to the disjuncture between rising urban investments and persistently low levels of city‐level autonomy in urban Africa. Challenging views of cities as either active agents or mere subjects of urban development, the article focuses on the negotiation strategies that have been employed by donors and recipients alike to enable the continued disbursement of urban development funding. The pragmatic and non‐confrontational nature of these negotiation strategies is illustrated by highlighting the role of a transnational community of urban development professionals who contribute to embedding local support for policy reform from within. It is argued that while this community has been key to enabling the massive growth of the World Bank's urban lending portfolio in Tanzania, it has also contributed to undermining effective local government reform, thereby reshaping conventionally assumed pathways and understandings of urban agency and development.

Sustainability of Local Public Finances from the Perspective of Territorial Disparities in the Rural Areas of Romania

The sustainability of local public finances is of general interest in the context of the socio-economic transformations of recent decades. In former communist countries such as Romania, where there has been no real reform of local government, this interest is heightened by the strong disparities between administrative units that have adapted to the new context and those that, for various reasons, have become dependent on government subsidies to be able to function. Using information derived from the budget execution for 2019–2023 at the level of the administrative units in rural areas, this study analyzes the structure of income and expenditure budgets. The territorial disparities are demonstrated by typological analyses showing strong regionalization, with a well-defined income or expenditure structure profile. In the same sense, multivariate analysis which uses a series of illustrative demographic and socio-economic profiles as explanatory variables shows significant correlations with the structure of local budgets. It is thus possible to distinguish certain regional patterns, depending on the level of development, geographical position, or quality of infrastructure. The study results demonstrate the need for genuine administrative reform to reduce the dependence of local budgets on subsidies and increase their self-sustainability, especially in rural areas.

Does local government debt promote firm green innovation? Evidence from the Chinese local government debt governance reform

Green innovation is a crucial strategy for fostering a green economy and achieving sustainable development. This paper focuses on the role of government debt in the sustainability of firm green innovation, particularly in the context of Chinese local government debt governance reform in 2014 (CLGDGR2014). By analyzing annual data of Chinese publicly listed firms from 2011 to 2018, the study explores the impact of CLGDGR2014 on firm green innovation and the underlying driving mechanisms. The findings suggest that CLGDGR2014 improves the firm green innovation, by alleviating firms' financing constraints and underscoring the productive function of local government debt in advancing new infrastructure development. The further analysis explores the impact of various types of debt on green innovation after CLGDGR2014 and indicates that explicit local government debt has a promoting effect while implicit local government debt is not obvious. In conclusion, this research offers new insights into leveraging and managing local government debt to stimulate green innovation.

Reflections on three decades of digital transformation in local governments

ABSTRACT This article draws from scholarly debates over three decades to argue for a shift in the study of digital transformation in local governments founded in the understanding that technology is an unavoidable tool for local government reform and that academic research in this field needs to be driven by real-world situations that local governments face when they undertake digital transformation processes and assess their results. The article advocates for four specific changes: 1) the acknowledgement that the relationship between the organisation and the use of technology is bi-directional, 2) the adoption of a multi and interdisciplinary perspective in the scholarship of digital transformation in local governments, 3) the study of public value creation as the result of digital transformation processes and local government reforms, and 4) the need to significantly advance the field by building on existing research and findings when a new technology comes into play.

Problematic issues arising in the field of state registration of acts of civil status

State registration of civil status acts is one of the forms of public services in the field of administrative law. The public service orientation of executive authorities and local self-government bodies is a priority in the decentralization processes which are taking place in Ukraine today. The focus of the local government reform is on people, and one of the important factors of their comfort is the provision of quality administrative services. Every day, children are born in Ukraine, some get married, some get divorced, and some die. Despite all the difficulties that exist today, the service of state registration of civil status acts is the most popular among Ukrainian citizens. The armed aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine has made many adjustments to our everyday life and the life of the country as a whole. Despite all the challenges, the legislator is trying to facilitate bureaucratic procedures, including in the field of civil registration. The latest technologies are being actively introduced, and amendments and additions are being made to the legislation in the field of state civil registration. Despite the significant progress in civil registration legislation, some difficulties arise in practice, especially in situations of state registration of marriage or divorce when one of the spouses is a military officer, or if one of the spouses is abroad, or in the area of active hostilities, or in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine. Regarding the temporarily occupied territories, unfortunately, during the 10 years of armed conflict, Ukraine has not been able to simplify the procedure for legitimizing civil status acts issued in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine. Therefore, Ukrainian citizens must go to court to recognize facts that have legal significance. Therefore, it is necessary for the legislator to resolve the problematic issues related to state registration of civil status acts.

ACTIVITIES OF DISTRICT CAPTAINS OF MINSK PROVINCE IN SOLUTION OF SOCIAL AND PUBLIC ISSUES IN VILLAGES AT THE BEGINNING OF THE 20TH CENTURY (BASED ON REPORTS)

In the Russian Empire at the end of the 19th century local government reform was carried out. Due to the reform a new authority for the rural areas was introduced – the institution of district captains. One of the areas of their activity was solving the main problems of the peasantry. District captains were in charge of conducting audits of peasant self-government bodies, solved the land management issues, had judicial powers. Furthermore, they were to promote rural literacy and opening of new schools. The article examines the role of district captains in solving social and public issues of the rural population, shows their practical activities aimed at increasing the level of literacy and changing the peasants’ attitude to receiving education.

How can local government be better supported to collaborate for community health and wellbeing?

AbstractCollaboration is a key strategy among local governments as expectations of the sector grow and resources to meet them fall short. Thus, more research is needed to consider how local governments can be supported to collaborate with others, not least for community health and wellbeing outcomes. In an earlier study, we explored inter‐municipal cooperation using social network analysis and local government perspectives on community health and wellbeing in the Australian state of Tasmania. Extending that study in ways reported here, we interviewed elected representatives and council staff to understand how and why Tasmanian local governments might collaborate with others to support community health and wellbeing. Findings show participants want councils to work more collaboratively to effectively deal with common challenges but are impeded by factors such as isolation and resource shortages. Tasmania's local government reform and Healthy Tasmania strategic plan are significant opportunities for collaborative practice to be enhanced among its local governments generally, and specifically in relation to community health and wellbeing. We advocate for a more considered approach to collaboration for community health and wellbeing that could deliver far‐reaching benefits for local governments and their communities.Points for practitioners Collaboration in local government is often described in terms of ‘shared services’ and tends to focus on transactional services that require little tailoring to local communities. Our study found municipal personnel want their councils to work more collaboratively to address common place‐specific issues related to community health and wellbeing, but are influenced by cultures of self‐sufficiency, organisational capacity and support, connections, and legislation and policy processes. Local government collaborative practices could be supported by the development of a place‐based policy framework to guide collaboration across local government service types, establishment of an informal statewide community health and wellbeing network for councils to facilitate peer learning and support, funding guidelines that explicitly support and encourage collaboration, and identifying collaboration as a priority in strategic plans, policies, and frameworks.

The Legal Foundations of the Budget System and the Differentiation of Revenues and Expenses in the Republic of China

The Republic of China was established in 1912. After the defeat in the Civil War, in December 1949, the state authorities were evacuated to the island of Taiwan that by that time had the status of a province. Conceptually, as in the case of tax law, the budget law of the Republic of China is in many ways identical to the analogues of other states, but the territory actually under the control of the authorities influenced the composition of the budget system and the tax system of the Republic of China. In 1994–1999, in the Republic of China, the local government reform was carried out, the functions of provincial governments were reduced and their level was lowered. The provinces themselves were not abolished and instructions about them are still contained in the legislation. However, the authorities of this administrative territorial unit do not accept budgets and there are no provincial taxes. The study of law of the Republic of China shows, in particular, that the provisions of the Basic Law (Constitution) of the State do not always allow us to come to reliable conclusions, for example, about the budgetary structure.

What determines citizens’ attitudes to municipal mergers?

ABSTRACT To what extent can citizens’ attitudes to municipal mergers be explained by costs and benefits incurred by merging with a specific consortium of neighbouring units? To answer this question, we analyse data taken from a survey to citizens of 119 Norwegian local governments in the fall of 2019, merely a few months before the merger of their own unit with one or more neighbouring units was to be implemented as the result of a national local government reform decided over two years in advance. In line with previous studies, we find that citizens tend to prefer merging with wealthier neighbours rather than poorer ones. Moreover, we find that this preference is only observable among respondents in smaller units merging with one or more larger units. Furthermore, differentials in private wealth among the merging units appear to affect preferences more than public wealth. However, we did not find support for the theoretical assumption that citizens prefer mergers with units that are similar in terms of political and societal characteristics. Overall, our study suggests that concerns over local redistributive losses may impede support for mergers and, hence, increase the political costs of implementing comprehensive structural reforms.

Local government in Northern Ireland: partnerships, minimalism and marginalisation

ABSTRACT In 2015, a reformed local government system was introduced in Northern Ireland following a lengthy period of review. In the new dispensation, great emphasis is placed on the concept of partnership, vertically between the regional institutions and government departments, and horizontally between local councils and statutory organisations, through a process of community planning. Despite the importance placed on partnerships, they have received little attention in the governance of Northern Ireland. This article assesses recent changes in local government in comparison to Great Britain, Ireland or elsewhere. Through a theoretical framework on partnerships within the New Public Governance literature, the article evaluates the significance of local government reforms and possible further enhancement of powers. In illustrating the fundamental imbalance in the regional-local nexus, resulting in continued over-centralisation and a fragmented model of sub-regional governance, the article concludes that the system remains characterised by marginalised local government, with aspirations for partnership unfulfilled.

THE PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF KAZAKHSTAN AND LOCAL AUTHORITIES: HISTORICAL AND LEGAL ASPECT

The author notes in his research that from 1993 to 1995 a new system of local government was formed, local executive and representative bodies were allocated. With regard to the formation and activities of local executive bodies, the head of state played a key role, the system was based on vertical subordination. At the same time, local representative bodies have gained some independence. In the article, the author examines the history of the formation and development of the institution of local authorities, the development of relations between the head of state and territorial authorities. The subject of the study is the legal acts of the Republic of Kazakhstan, the legal norms formulated in them and the practice of their implementation, program documents. The objectives of the work are to identify problems in the system of relations between the President and local authorities. In the course of the study, the author examines the processes of centralization and decentralization. Thus, within the framework of the constitutional reform of the development of local authorities and self-government, the introduction of direct elections of the leadership of administrative-territorial units of some types, the system of vertical power and subordination is maintained. Moreover, the article shows some inconsistency in the ongoing reforms of local government, leveling the increase in the status of local authorities at the expense of other norms and rules. The paper shows that after the constitutional reform of 2022, the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan retains full authority over local governments (taking into account the presence of some elements of independence of territorial governments). The article and in conclusion assesses some provisions of the legal acts of Kazakhstan.

From paperwork to pixels: workload and digital governance in Armenian local authorities

This study examines the impact of amalgamation reforms on workload and digital governance within Armenian local authorities, against a backdrop of decentralization and government consolidation. It explores how these reforms affect public servants at different governmental levels and ordinary citizens, highlighting the transition towards e-governance as a mitigatory strategy. The research employed a mixed-method approach, incorporating document analysis, semi-structured interviews with government officials across various levels, and focus group discussions with citizens from amalgamated communities. This comprehensive methodology aimed to assess the shifts in workload distribution and the effectiveness of digital governance tools post-amalgamation. Findings indicate a significant shift in work responsibilities towards local administrators, particularly after community amalgamations, leading to increased workloads. While digital governance tools were introduced to alleviate these pressures, their effectiveness varied. Smaller communities reported satisfaction with service delivery improvements, attributing this to enhanced government support and capacity. However, larger communities faced challenges, including dissatisfaction with service delivery, loss of local identity, and perceived inequities in tax contributions versus benefits received. The study reveals that while amalgamation and digital governance initiatives aim to enhance administrative efficiency and public service delivery, they also present complex challenges. These include managing increased workloads and ensuring equitable service provision across communities. The research contributes to the discourse on local governance reform, emphasizing the need for a balanced approach that considers the implications for democracy, accountability, and citizen engagement in the face of significant structural changes.

Talent Management Policy and Meritocracy to Accelerate Bureaucratic Reform of Local Government: Comparative Study of Pontianak and Pekanbaru Cities

The Indonesian government prioritizes implementing talent management for bureaucratic reform in civil service (ASN) management. The merit system index measures the implementation of human resource management based on meritocracy values in government agencies with a minimal score of 250. However, data shows that only 12.8%of district and city local government agencies are included in the good and excellent categories, which is still far from the target set. At the end of 2022, based on data from the Indonesian Civil Service Commission (KASN) assessment results, the Pekanbaru City Government (Riau Province) got an outstanding or “Good” category for the merit system index. On the other hand, Pontianak City (West Kalimantan Province) is also in the excellent or “Very Good” category. This study aims to analyze the efforts made by the Pontianak City Government and Pekanbaru City in implementing the ASN management merit system and identify strategies to implement talent management. Studies are based on the results of qualitative research through collection of data and information from various sources, such as interviews, observations, secondary data, and documentation. Purposive sampling is applied with primary data sources obtained directly from the location through documentary evidence, focus group discussion (FGD), and interviews. The results of the study found that the governments of Pontianak City and Pekanbaru City have prepared several policies and initiatives for merit-based ASN management, as well as the implementation of talent management. Political support encourages the implementation of good talent management to be the key to success, because of the understanding of the importance of human resources to improve public services and encourage economic growth and quality of life in Pekanbaru City and Pontianak City. The absence of in-depth studies of talent management applications in city/regency local governments, especially outside Java, can contribute significantly to both the application practice and the science of administration and public policy.
 Keywords: talent management policy, civil service management, meritocracy, local government, bureaucratic reform

THE ROLE OF SMART CITY POLICY IN IMPROVING THE QUALITY OF LIFE IN SERANG CITY BANTEN

This research examines the implementation of smart city policy in Serang City, Banten Province, Indonesia, in the context of local government reform from a centralised to a decentralised system. The main objective is to analyse how smart city policy can improve peoples welfare through integrating information technology in e-government, e-budgeting, e-planning, environmental management, and urban planning. The methodology used is a descriptive analysis design with a qualitative approach involving direct data collection in the field and observation of social interactions. The results show that the effectiveness of smart city policy implementation in Serang City is influenced by five main dimensions: environmental conditions, inter-organizational relationships, available resources, characteristics of implementing agencies, and the quality of public services. These factors interact with each other to support or hinder the achievement of policy objectives. This study concludes that the success of smart city policies depends on technology and the ability to manage resources, inter-organizational coordination, and human resource quality development. Continuous evaluation and adjustment of policies and practices are needed to create sustainable and inclusive solutions to improve peoples quality of life. KEYWORDS: Decentralization, Smart City, Serang City, Policy Implementation

The impact of local government debt on entrepreneurship: Evidence from a quasi-natural experiment of local debt governance reform

We investigate the impact of China's New Budget Law of 2015 on local entrepreneurship. The legislation introduces exogenous limitations on local governments' debt-financing mechanisms. Our findings suggest that rates of new business registration experience an uptick following this change in debt management, which implies the reform can bolster local entrepreneurial ventures. This effect is more pronounced for firms operating in cities characterized by poor financial infrastructure, elevated fiscal stress, limited market openness, or inadequate legal frameworks. Supplementary analysis reveals that enhanced access to broader financing options, alleviated local tax and non-tax obligations, optimized urban land use, and reduced firms' perceptions of economic uncertainty serve as four mechanisms underlying our findings. Collectively, this governance modification mitigates the crowding-out effect exerted by local government debt on private-sector activity, leading to an increase in local entrepreneurship.

The legitimacy of local government in the Australian federation

AbstractAustralian local government does not enjoy the status of its counterparts in comparable democracies and has long sought acknowledgment in the federal constitution. As these campaigns have consistently failed, this study considers how, and in which forms, local government obtains its own political legitimacy within a governance system centered on the citizen–state relationship, in addition to evaluating the relationships between the different forms of legitimacy. We find that positive perceptions of local government effectiveness are associated with higher levels of support for constitutional change, but that local governments need to pay more attention to systems of accountability and oversight, how building and planning issues are handled, and how they communicate with residents. Generally, and unsurprisingly, local government is appreciated more by those who rely on their services yet who are not always the loudest voices in public debates. Constitutional legitimacy is more likely when other sources of legitimacy are enhanced.Related ArticlesTran, Carolyn‐Thi Thanh Dung, and Brian Dollery. 2022. “Administrative Intensity and Financial Sustainability: An Empirical Analysis of the Victorian Local Government System.” Politics & Policy 50(3): 540–61. https://doi.org/10.1111/polp.12466.Van Acker, Elizabeth. 2009. “Service Delivery of Relationship Support Programs in Australia: Implications for the ‘Community Sector.’” Politics & Policy 37(6): 1307–29. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1747‐1346.2009.00221.x.Wallis, Joe Tor Brodtkorb, Brian Dollery, and Muiris MacCarthaigh. 2017. “Commissions and Local Government Reform: Expressed Leadership Identities of Commissioners in Inquiries Proposing Municipal Mergers in Northern Ireland and New South Wales.” Politics & Policy 45(2): 285–308. https://doi.org/10.1111/polp.12199.

The impact of public discourse on local representatives’ amalgamation preferences

ABSTRACT Municipal amalgamation reforms have taken place across democratic regimes since the 1960s. While much focus has been devoted to such reforms’ causes and effects, less attention has been on public discourse surrounding territorial consolidation. This study analyses how local issue salience may impact local representatives’ stance on amalgamating their municipality with one or more others. We focus on the 2014–2020 Norwegian Local Government Reform and utilise a broad survey of local representatives. The analyses show that no one issue (local democracy, local belonging, local employment, municipal services and municipal finances) was perceived to have dominated more than others during the reform. And though certain issues, once prominent in local debates, affect the propensity of local representatives to support amalgamation, this relationship tends to differ between the largest and smallest municipalities, and is also conditioned on localisation issues in the (potentially) new municipality.

Інституційні аспекти розвитку соціального капіталу територіальних громад в Україні

The article aims to analyze the state of the levels and substantiate the directions of institutionalization of the development of social capital of territorial communities. The article analyzes four levels of institutionalization of social capital of territorial communities in Ukraine: group, stakeholder, intercommunity cooperation and international intercommunity cooperation. It is found that the group level of institutionalization is the least developed. At this level, the need to identify leaders and form networks of interaction based on common interests, which would significantly strengthen the potential for community self-sufficiency, remains unaddressed. The level of community stakeholders is poorly engaged, characterized by low activity of public-private partnerships. Significantly better results are observed at the level of intercommunity interaction, the functioning of which is ensured on the regulatory and financial plane through the established system of state funding for community infrastructure development projects, which were largely implemented on the basis of intercommunity cooperation. It has been established that international intercommunity cooperation is also developed. It intensified with the outbreak of full-scale war and was in many cases in-formal and humanitarian in nature. This experience may be useful in the future for the recovery of communities in the postwar period. The paper uses general scientific methods of analysis and synthesis to collect, process and systematize the results of scientific research; abstract-logical and critical analysis — to analyze the levels of institutionalization of social capital of territorial communities; statistical — to collect and systematize data; graphical-to visualize the results of the assessment of international and domestic, intra-Ukrainian, intercommunity cooperation; induction and deduction — to substantiate the main directions of institutionalization of the development of social capital of territorial communities. The main directions of institutionalization of the social capital of territorial communities as a prerequisite for the unification and mobilization of their internal development resources, which is a prerequisite for overcoming the risks caused by the war and the local government reform, are substantiated. The scientific and methodological foundations of the study of social capital at the local level in modern conditions have been improved.

U.S. SUPPORT FOR DEMOCRATIC VALUES IN UKRAINE: THE INSTITUTIONAL DIMENSION

The purpose of this article is to analyze the role of U.S. governmental and non-governmental institutions in supporting democratic values in Ukraine following Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022. It examines how American assistance has contributed to preserving Ukraine’s democratic governance, sovereignty, and political freedoms during the Russian-Ukrainian armed conflict (war). The article also provides an overview of key U.S. institutions and organizations that have actively supported Ukraine’s democratic aspirations through financial aid, technical assistance, and institutional reforms. The methodological basis of the study includes a thorough review of publications from the websites of relevant organizations and agencies, official reports and news for 2022–2024. The research also draws on analytical works from prominent U.S. think tanks, including the Brookings Institution and Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, alongside data from surveys conducted by the National Democratic Institute and Razumkov Center. Comparative analysis and case studies are used to assess the feasibility of U.S. support in areas like anti-corruption initiatives, civil society development, and local governance reforms. The scientific novelty of the article lies in its holistic approach to understanding the diverse dimensions of U.S. support for democratic values in Ukraine. Unlike previous studies, which focus on specific aspects of U.S.–Ukraine cooperation, this research presents a comprehensive examination of how American institutions, including the U.S. Department of State, USAID, the National Endowment for Democracy (NED) etc. are making efforts to strengthen democracy in Ukraine during the war. The author concludes that U.S. assistance is important for Ukraine’s democratic foundations. However, it has not yet addressed such problems as the decline in Ukrainians’ trust in government institutions, which underscores the need for continued efforts to increase transparency, anti-corruption measures, and accountability to bring Ukraine closer to European standards in the long run.