Original scientific paper
https://doi.org/10.31297/hkju.16.4.6
Decentralising Unitary Governments Without a Map, or Learning How to Salsa When We Only Know How to Waltz
Jill L. Tao
; Associate Professor, Dean of the Office of International Affairs, Incheon National University, South Korea
Abstract
This paper examines disparities between unitary central governments and local governments in how environmental policy is defined and implemented at thelocal level. This is done within the context of northeast Asia, where results can often differ from expectations driven by traditional models of local government behaviour offered by the West. The author constructs a theoretical measure for policy distance between the central government and its subsidiaries and thenoperationalise the measure in a comparative context within northeastern China and the Republic of Korea. Because of their proximity, these regions share environmental concerns that cross international boundaries, and both countries have gone through an unusually rapid decentralisation of decision-making within the environmental policy arena. This has produced a range of responses to environmentalconcerns at the local level, allowing for a comparative examination of the relative importance of structural, political, and economic constructs with regard to policy expenditures. Using local and national budget data from 23 cities with histories of environmental issues (13 in northeast China and 10 in South Korea), the author’s measure of policy distance between the centre and the
periphery is tested. It is found that, contrary to traditional model expectations, there is far greater concurrence between local governments and the national government within a democratic nation than there is within a communist one.
Keywords
decentralisation; local government; China; South Korea; policy distance
Hrčak ID:
173627
URI
Publication date:
13.12.2016.
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