Subnational Entities Research Articles

A Paradigm Shift for Hong Kong’s National Security Constitution – A Comparative Study of the Impact of Its National Security Law

Abstract The Chinese national legislature has enacted a national security law (NSL) for Hong Kong. This paper applies the theory of national security constitution as developed by Professor Koh to examine the impact of the NSL upon four core constitutional principles in Hong Kong’s mini-constitution which underly its national security constitution and to evaluate the nature of the impact. The paper argues that the NSL has, instead of applying and supplementing the existing underlying constitutional principles in the mini-constitution, changed them to various degrees, and the pre-NSL bifurcated national security system for Hong Kong and mainland China has been replaced by an integrated national security system under the NSL. The impact caused by the NSL is so significant as to amount to a permanent paradigm shift to a new post-NSL national security constitution. The paper also argues that the theory of national security constitution has its limitation in its application to subnational Hong Kong because its mini-constitution and the underlying principles therein can be modified by national legislation, such as the NSL, of its sovereign, China. Through a comparative study with the USA, the paper proposes that the theory of national security constitution needs to be modified by adding that different effects may occur to a sub-national national security constitution depending on the source of the framework national security legislation. Hong Kong’s failure in its constitutional duty to enact national security legislation under Article 23 of the Basic Law has led to the enactment of the NSL by China. Such legislation from the sovereign has changed the underlying constitutional principles and is fundamentally different from sub-national framework legislation that only implements and supplements those principles. However, a comparative study with Macau indicates that the theory of national security constitution is still applicable to a sub-national entity such as Macau so long as China as sovereign exercises self-restraint and any framework national security legislation is enacted at the sub-national level.

Paradiplomacy and the European Union’s trade treaty negotiations: the role of Wallonia and Brussels

ABSTRACT Because of their integration in the elaboration of national positions in the European decision-making process, Belgian subnational entities have since the 1990s favoured collaborative paradiplomacy. This has been particularly the case for Wallonia and the Brussels Region since they have a stronger stake in keeping Belgium together. Cooperative paradiplomacy has therefore been their default option, only interrupted by the crisis over the signature of the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) treaty, which was refused by these two regions. This article therefore analyses the dynamics of the conflict over the signature of the CETA treaty and the specific contribution of the two regions, Wallonia and Brussels.

Evolution of the covenants signed by the Ministry of Agriculture with subnational entities in Brazil

Resumo: O objetivo do artigo é analisar a evolução dos convênios celebrados pelo Ministério da Agricultura, Pecuária e Abastecimento (MAPA) com os entes subnacionais, no período de 2008 a 2021. Argumenta-se que os convênios são uma dimensão importante para pensar as políticas públicas de agricultura do país, dado o seu caráter alocativo de recursos financeiros e discricionário em relação à temática de investimento. Do ponto de vista teórico, discute-se a partir da literatura que versa sobre os instrumentos de políticas públicas e sobre o arranjo institucional relativo às transferências voluntárias de recursos da União. Os dados referentes ao fenômeno foram coletados na Plataforma Mais Brasil e submetidos à análise de conteúdo. Verificou-se que os convênios voltados ao fomento de políticas para mulheres, capacitação de agricultores, quilombolas e reforma agrária diminuíram com o tempo, enquanto os convênios voltados à compra de maquinários agrícolas e equipamentos aumentaram expressivamente. O artigo conclui que o arranjo institucional brasileiro faz com que os convênios sejam instrumentalizados como forma de alocação de recursos de acordo com interesses políticos, com sobreposição de recursos na região Sul do Brasil. O artigo defende um maior papel da União enquanto coordenadora do processo de distribuição de recursos financeiros, de modo a evitar vazios assistenciais e acúmulo de recursos em certas regiões.

Profile of the agreements signed by the Ministry of Justice and Public Security with subnational entities in Brazil (2008-2022)

Resumo O presente artigo tem como objetivo analisar, com base na discussão sobre instrumentos de políticas públicas e nos estudos sobre as políticas de segurança pública no Brasil, o perfil das transferências voluntárias de recursos orçamentários da União celebradas por meio do Ministério da Justiça e Segurança Pública (MJSP) com os entes subnacionais, no período de 2008 a 2022. Trata-se de uma pesquisa documental e de uma análise de conteúdo sobre dados de acesso público extraídos da Plataforma +Brasil. Identificou-se que os convênios dialogam com o paradigma da segurança pública voltada à prevenção da violência, que os estados das regiões Sudeste e Sul figuram como os maiores beneficiados das transferências voluntárias do MJSP e que o Congresso Nacional passou a ser o principal financiador dos convênios ao longo do tempo. O estudo conclui que é preciso esforços por parte do Governo Federal com vistas à distribuição de recursos de forma equânime pelo território.

Regionalizing a Tourism Satellite Account: A top-down approach based on existing data sources

Purpose: Developing Tourism Satellite Account (TSA) at regional level is a challenging task for any country that wishes to have data for its component regions or its sub-national entities. There are numerous conceptual and methodological issues to be faced in such an endeavour. Considering data availability, particularly the lack of demand-side data at regional level, the purpose of this paper was to employ a top-down method for regionalizing TSA data in Romania at the level of its eight development regions. Design/methodology/approach: This method is based on using multiple regional indicators and existing data sources coming from the supply side: tourism statistics, passenger transport statistics, culture statistics, administrative data, structural business survey, labour cost survey, as well as national and regional accounts. Findings: Regionalizing TSA was obtained but restricted only to calculating the TSA aggregates at regional level. Originality: This paper will contribute to enhancing the TSA development at sub-national (regional) level by proposing a quick top-down method based only on the existing data sources. Research limitations/implications: The major limitation is the lack of a direct reconciliation of data between regional supply and regional demand which is actually the philosophy of any TSA. Practical implications: The regionalization of TSA data proposed in this paper can be illustrative for countries having national TSAs and wishing to make advancements at sub-national (regional) level.

Dissemination of the Family Health Strategy: explanatory factors of the adhesion of municipalities in São Paulo, Brazil, in the coercive context of induction by the federal government

The scope of this paper is to analyze the adhesion of municipalities in São Paulo to the Family Health Strategy (FHS). The adhesion data in SP showed that it did not occur unanimously, immediately or uniformly. The theory of policy diffusion was used, with the objective of studying the process of adoption and implementation of public policies by subnational entities, in contexts where coercion occurs in the federal sphere. From the discussions related to the diffusion mechanism called coercion, the following question was answered: what explains the diffusion of the FHS in the municipalities of SP, in the coercive context of vertical influence? The survival analysis technique was applied to identify explanatory factors for the diffusion of the FHS, considering political and party variables of institutional design, neighborhood influence, internal needs, and structural factors. The results reveal that horizontal interactions between both ideological and regional subnational governments, as well as the local social, economic and political issues are relevant to understand the research questions. This finding enables us to reflect on the limits of vertical influence in the promotion of initiatives for subnational governments.

Perfil dos convênios celebrados pelo Ministério da Justiça e Segurança Pública com entes subnacionais no Brasil (2008-2022)

Abstract Based on the discussion about public policy instruments and studies on public security policies in Brazil, this article aims to analyze the profile of voluntary transfers of Union budget resources concluded through the Ministry of Justice and Public Security (MJSP) with subnational entities in the period from 2008 to 2022. The research adopted documentary analysis and content analysis on public access data extracted from the Mais Brasil Platform. It was identified that the agreements dialogue with the paradigm of public security focused on violence prevention. Also, the study showed that the states of the Brazilian Southeast and South regions are the largest beneficiaries of voluntary transfers from MJSP and that the National Congress became the primary funder of agreements over time. The study concludes that the federal government must improve resource distribution to equitably supply the territory.

Socioeconomic Drivers and Risk Factors of Covid-19 Pandemic in Nigeria

Relevance. The Covid-19 pandemic has prompted the need for a comprehensive understanding of its drivers and risk factors, particularly in the socioeconomic dimension. While previous research has primarily focused on biological vectors and mortality rates, less is known about the influence of socioeconomic factors on the spread of the virus. Understanding these factors is crucial for effective policy responses and addressing state-specific peculiarities. Research Objectives. This paper aims to assess the socioeconomic drivers and risk factors of the Covid-19 pandemic in Nigeria. Specifically, it examines the impact of socioeconomic forces on infection and mortality rates. The study seeks to shed light on the role of geographic distance to epicenters, the business environment, and income inequality in shaping the spread and impact of the virus. Data and Methods. The analysis employs two pooled multivariate regression models using data from 37 sub-national entities (States) in Nigeria. The first model explores the effect of socioeconomic forces on Covid-19 infection rates, while the second model examines their influence on fatality rates. The models are based on comprehensive observations and utilize state-specific data to account for variations across regions. Results. We found that proximity to epicenters is associated with higher infection rates, while areas with weaker business environments and higher inequality are more vulnerable. Income inequality emerges as the sole significant driver of mortality, possibly due to limited access to testing, vaccination, and treatment centers among income-constrained populations. Conclusions. The study emphasizes the importance of considering socioeconomic factors in pandemic response strategies, particularly in the context of Covid-19 in Nigeria. We reveal that geographic proximity to epicenters, business environment strength, and income inequality significantly influence infection rates. Addressing these factors, along with recognizing the impact of income inequality on mortality, can inform targeted policies and interventions for effective pandemic management. Policymakers should consider sub-national characteristics and state-specific peculiarities to tailor responses and mitigate the spread and impact of Covid-19.

Article 9 - EU FTAs and divided sovereignty: Transformative shifts in trade authority

EU trade policy has evolved on the scope of its remit through what can be framed as “creeping competence” (Pollack 1994, 2000). Since the Treaty of Rome to the Lisbon Treaty the EU has consolidated its sovereignty over trade by broadening its competences. However, the enlarged scope of EU FTAs has pushed subnational units to demand shared sovereignty over trade issues to protect the status quo on their regulatory competences. In turn, the 2017 Court of Justice ruling that the EU-Singapore Agreement could only be concluded with the consent of the EU and its Member States has led the Commission to propose the splitting of trade deals into EU-only and “mixed” agreements. While the EU holds to its exclusive competences in the former, mixed agreements require divided sovereignty with the member states. Both the engagement of subnational entities in trade policy and the impact of the Court decision represent transformative shifts in the locus of trade policymaking from centralized competences to divided sovereignty with national and subnational entities. The ensuing difficulties in ratifying EU trade agreements have prompted stop-gap solutions that raise questions as to where the pattern of “creeping competence” is applicable. These political and legal challenges highlight that “creeping competence” may have unintended consequences unleashed by the dynamics of the policy itself. In trade policy the notion of “creeping competence” has to capture the legal challenges, the efforts to claw back centralization, as well as the pushback by subnational entities to protect their regulatory sovereignty.

Latin American Experience of Paradiplomacy: The Case of Mercocities

At present, the nature and scope of paradiplomacy vary depending on the level of political activeness of the regions, local challenges and the willingness of both states and sub-national entities to implement paradiplomacy strategies. Latin America, taken as an object of study, is no exception. Over the past three decades, Latin America has gained considerable experience of interaction at the level of cities and sub-national regions. The aim of the research is to identify the key features and problems that shape the development of paradiplomacy in South America, using Mercociudades (Mercocities) as an example. This network includes cities of MERCOSUR member states, while remaining open to other cities. Mercociudades might be regarded as the largest and most influential actor of that nature, whose aim is to develop regional units. Relying on case study, document analysis, comparative analysis and SWOT technique, the authors reveal some problems of institutional and organizational nature, differences in legal frameworks of different actors and irrelevance of separate Mercociudades projects and structures for tackling common challenges. Many of the shortcomings of Mercociudades lie in the very nature of the network, determined by its structure and the policies of MERCOSUR member states. At the same time, it is argued that the Mercociudades network can be considered one of the most advanced paradiplomacy cases. Its experience is relatively successful, contributing to the economic, social and political development of the member cities and states concerned. The research is based on official documents and respectful academic sources.

BRIDGING CONCEPTS: MULTI-LEVEL GOVERNANCE AND PARADIPLOMACY EXPLAINING TERRITORIAL CHANGES IN EUROPE

There are two distant conceptual cousins that analyse the external mobilisation of subnational entities, one being European Studies – Multi-Level Governance and the other International Relations – Paradiplomacy. The article first aims to analyse each concept against the dimensions of the politik to determine the conceptual focus and find more pronounced differences in the policy and politics dimensions. The second aim is to identify the theoretical bedrock underpinning both concepts. This article proposes the analogous theory of Neo-Medievalism, establishing that it has some application here; in this sense, the two concepts may be better at explaining wider territorial reconfiguration underway in Europe. Keywords: Paradiplomacy, Multi-Level Governance, Neo-Medievalism, European Union

Os fatores que influenciam a implementação de políticas nacionais pelos governos estaduais na área de educação: uma revisão

Introduction: Education is one of the cornerstones for the development of countries. Its effectiveness depends on better public policy systems and, therefore, on greater discoveries about the role of federal states in the policy process. Objective: To carry out an integrative review of the literature to cover the factors that influence the implementation of national policies by state governments in the education area. Materials and Methods: A literature survey was carried out in July 2022, in the following databases: SciELO, Lilacs, Scopus, CAPES Periodicals and Google Scholar. The descriptors used were: “Implementação de políticasnacionais” AND “Governos Estaduais” AND “Educação” AND “Federalismo” AND “Relações Intergovernamentais” AND “National Policies Implementation” AND “State Government” AND “Education” AND “Federalism” AND “Intergovernmental Relations”. Results: 90% of the analyzed works approached federalism as having a great influence on the rules of policy implementation and a third of them focused on the role of state governments. Conclusion: The main factors that influence the implementation of national policies by federal states are: federalism, national regulations, existing asymmetries between subnational entities, lack of federative forums, administrative, technical and financial capacities, poor definition of the roles of each entity, political and economic contexts, and induction mechanisms of the federal government.

Aggregating the Impacts of Non-State and Subnational Climate Actions: An Exploration of Methods

This paper discusses methodological assumptions to estimate the collective impact of mitigation commitments and targets of non-state and subnational entities. It serves as a supplement to the Initiative for Climate Action Transparency (ICAT) Non-State and Subnational Action Guide. The paper will facilitate users in employing methods that are suitable for their specific objectives when determining the collective impact of mitigation actions taken by cities, businesses and states. It will also promote greater transparency in reporting impact assessment results.

Turn West: Finding and Defining the Transnational in California

ABSTRACT In introducing this special issue of Comparative American Studies, this essay traces a history of attempts to define and practice a transnational American studies, and suggests that such efforts face inherent and perhaps intractable difficulties. It then explains this issue’s rationale for approaching the culture, literature, and history of California through a transnational lens, proposing why we might productively, indeed necessarily, think of this subnational entity as a transnational one. It does so by discussing and responding to the different ways in which a transnational conception of California is constructed and mobilised in each of this issue’s constituent articles.

Does voluntary cooperation in member state implementation require top‐down steering? The case of regional policy in Switzerland

AbstractThis article studies the institutional conditions that facilitate voluntary member state cooperation in the implementation of regional development policy in Switzerland. Cooperation is crucial for the implementation of regional development policies given that functional perimeters do generally not coincide with institutional borders. Research on the governance of horizontal interorganizational cooperation often focuses on local entities and institutionalized networks, we examine the voluntary cooperation of higher‐tier subnational entities. We apply the institutional collective action framework to the implementation of a regional policy in highly federalist Switzerland where subnational entities have considerable discretionary power. The empirical analysis of comprehensive data on implemented development projects and a survey of all responsible subnational actors show that cooperation between higher‐tier subnational entities faces strong institutional constraints. We conclude that more top‐down guidance is necessary when horizontal cooperation is a condition for policy success.

ТЕОРЕТИЧЕСКАЯ КОНСТРУКЦИЯ ПРОСТРАНСТВЕННОЙ МОДЕЛИ ЭКОНОМИЧЕСКОГО ФЕДЕРАЛИЗМА

The processes of the economic space reforming, considering regional interests, entail the transformation of the socio-economic systems of territories and give rise to an aggravation of contradictions between the central government and the subnational entities of the country, what requires theoretical understanding of the problems and expanding the theory of the economic mechanism of federative relations. The purpose of the article is to specify and substantiate the concept of the economic federalism, considering the heterogeneity of regions, the need for spatial connectivity and cohesion of territories. The main constructive provisions of the spatial economic federalism are highlighted: the integrating role of the public sector as an institutional construct and an economic actor; the need for connectivity and cohesion of heterogeneous (territorial, governing and economic) spaces of interaction of entities of federative relations; combination of universal and adaptive parts in the institutional model of economic federalism. A methodology has been developed and tested for comparing the consistency of the economic interests of entities of federative relations in the Russian Federation, both in the context of regions and territorial zones of different functional status (centers of economic growth, geostrategic territories, etc.). The identified trends of better consistency of interests within the territorial zones structure allow us to justify the need for a new strategic format and the application of the specificity of the support measures in the territorial-functional context, the combination of universal and space-oriented tools, what would ensure the coherence of space in the Russian model of economic federalism.

Decisões do Supremo Tribunal Federal no início da pandemia de Covid-19: impactos no federalismo brasileiro?

ABSTRACT In the current pandemic context, the Supreme Court (STF) is a rich field of research for understanding how political-ideological disputes are intertwined with bureaucratic-administrative issues. Authors argue that the STF tends to issue more favorable rulings to the Federal Government than to the states or municipalities in interfederative disputes. This paper aimed to analyze and reflect on the decision-making impact of the STF on government actions within the debate on interfederative relation- ships, considering the current context and verifying whether the pandemic changes such trend of favoring the Federal Government. Thirty-three collegiate rulings were made using the keywords “Coronavirus” and “Covid-19” and the first half of 2020 as a chronological landmark. A typology was constructed for the analysis: ‘Regulation and Territorial Management’, ‘Health Policies and Services’, ‘Employment and Income’, ‘Public Finance’, and ‘Others’. In a context marked by tensions and omissions, the role of the STF in resolving conflicts of interfederative competence was reinforced, suggesting an inversion of the centralist tendency in Brazilian jurisprudence. On the other hand, we could question the extent to which this situation could reinforce the role of subnational entities and, therefore, of Brazilian federalism.

Paradiplomasi Provinsi Jawa Barat terhadap Provinsi Sichuan dalam Menanggulangi Pandemi Covid-19 di Jawa Barat

The occurrence of the COVID-19 pandemic has created a global health hazard that not only threatens health aspects, but also has an impact on various aspects of the economy, social, education, culture, tourism and so on. As one of the efforts to overcome this, Indonesia and its sub-national entities need to realize synergized and coordinated health diplomacy in order to be able to ensure the health security of citizens. This research was carried out to analyze the paradiplomacy achieved by the Province of West Java and the Province of Sichuan-China in tackling COVID-19. Using a descriptive method, this study presents an analysis of how the Covid-19 Pandemic has become a global security issue that has an impact on various aspects of life, as well as Indonesia's health diplomacy efforts which are supported by the active role of local governments in pursuing para-diplomacy, especially para-diplomacy of West Java Province with the Province of West Java. Sichuan China. From the results of the analysis, it can be described the ways, efforts, and endeavors of the Province of West Java in seizing global opportunities, providing services to local residents, encouraging decentralization, and achieving personal interests.

PECULIARITIES OF MACRO-FINANCIAL POLICY OF UKRAINE IN CONDITIONS OF BUDGET DECENTRALIZATION

The article considers the relationship between modern processes of budget decentralization and macro-financial policy of Ukraine. The focus on deepening decentralization processes in Ukraine remains unchanged. This emphasizes the use of the State Strategy for Regional Development for 2021-2027. The theoretical foundations of budget decentralization were introduced in the works of C. Tibet, W. Oates, E. Bracco, W. Tanzi, A. Aristovnik and other Western researchers. C. Oates defined the decentralization of fiscal powers as a benefit that could lead to a reduction in the size of the central government. This means reducing the tax burden by increasing competition from tax jurisdictions. For quantification at the level of an individual economy, it is possible to use the index of fiscal decentralization. This index consists of two sub-indices: the self-sufficiency index and the index of importance of subnational budgets. The OECD Fiscal Decentralization Database can be used as a source of information on fiscal decentralization. A retrospective analysis of economists has shown an increase in the index of fiscal decentralization and an improvement in the state of subnational entities in a favorable macroeconomic situation. On the contrary, the crisis worsens the conditions of subnational entities and is accompanied by a decrease in this index. With the beginning of the pandemic, there was a crisis situation regarding the macroeconomic support of further decentralization processes. Long-term social problems are deepening: demographic negatives, increasing external outflow of labor resources, shrinking the country's economy, progressive deindustrialization, high resource intensity of production, in particular, low energy efficiency, growing debt burden. The most destabilizing role is played by military events in the east of the country. High regional disproportion logically leads to a violation of the single economic space of Ukraine. The size of the budget deficit and public debt is increasing. The crisis has a significant impact on all macroeconomic processes, in particular, on the macro-financial stimulation of budget decentralization processes. The urgent task is to establish effective coordination of fiscal and monetary policy, as well as increase the capacity to attract loan financing. Extreme conditions force us to temporarily give up strategic intentions as such, which are not urgent. Public-private partnership can get another chance to become an effective mechanism of social interaction. Increasing competition between budgetary institutions and private institutions in these areas has the potential to increase the quantity and quality of public services.

The impact of skills and training on local development

The impact of skills and training on local development