Socio-political tensions in Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) development in low-income Asian cities

International development agencies, with the help of the central government, support building state of art Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) in low-income Asian cities. However, BRT investment over indigenous modes of mobility is creating socio-political tensions at the local level. This article uses multi-level governance as a theoretical lens to examine the relationships among actors in BRT investment decisions in Bandung and Surabaya, Indonesia. The research finds that local stakeholders can distort national and supranational policy initiatives totally or in a way that while projects are delivered, they are of limited use to the local communities they intended to help.     

Modelling trust and contractual arrangements in a local economy

This article investigates trust among dairy value-chain actors to understand the innovative process in a local productive sector in Tunisia. It uses a sample of 45 smallholder farmers chosen randomly nearby existing collection centres in the region. A trust variable is constructed employing 11 ordinal variables based on principal component analysis, and institutional arrangements then modelled to examine the effect of trust on contracting decisions and cooperative membership. The results show that trust is defined by values such as “integrity”, “competence”, and “existence of credible information”, which are preconditions to sustainable contracts. The article contributes to the growing literature which considers social capital, networking and trust as determinants of farmer’s behaviour, as opposed to the classical model of rationality.     

Uncovering land tenure insecurities: tips for tenure responsive land-use planning in Ethiopia

Land-use planning, although a mechanism for development, can also generate insecurity during its implementation. This article argues that tenure security and land-use planning should not be implemented in isolation from each other. It posits that land-use planning – rather than restricting the security of people's tenure – has the potential to serve as a means of securing tenure. The article explores tenure (in)security elements in land-use planning as a crucial challenge in the urban town of Gelan Sidama Awash, Ethiopia. Using data collected through stakeholders’ interviews, it uncovers their tenure security challenges, and outlines a set of measures for enhancing tenure security through land-use planning.     

Critical Misunderstandings: Ineffective International Governance and the UK Nuclear Industry

In 2017, significant media and political interest was sparked by the UK decision to leave Euratom, the European Atomic Energy Community. While such interest in nuclear matters has to be welcomed, the apparent lack of knowledge displayed in the regulatory governance of the UK nuclear industry is disquieting. This article therefore offers an overview of the publicly funded UK nuclear industry and its regulatory governance including its links with European and global nuclear agencies to inform the debate and to identify critical issues in need of resolution.     

Regionalisierung und Dezentralisierung in Mittel- und Südosteuropa 1997–2007

The review essay takes stock of the last decade of decentralisation and regionalisation research in Central and South Eastern Europe. Classifying the existing scholarship with regard to its focus of analysis, its explanatory programme, and methodological predilections, we suggest to distinguish three different agendas: system transformation, EU conditionality and subnational governance. We argue that scholarly interest in regionalisation and decentralisation issues from the perspective of state transformation or Europeanisation is vanishing. Instead, we witness the emergence of a subnational governance approach which is rooted in comparative politics and policy analysis. The debate about decentralisation and regionalisation in CEEC is thus in a process of “normalising” and converging with the Western European subnational political discourse.     

跨行政区生态环境协同治理绩效问责机制构建与应用——基于目标管理过程的分析框架

问责目标的整体性、问责过程的有序性以及问责标准的统一性是跨行政区生态环境协同治理绩效问责机制的根本特性.基于目标管理过程分析框架,以整体性绩效责任目标的实现为中心,构建了包括绩效责任目标确定、目标执行、目标评估、目标反馈和目标改进五个环节的跨行政区生态环境协同治理绩效问责机制基本框架.通过对京津冀地区进行应用检验,证实...     

粤港澳大湾区跨区域基础设施协调制度的构建与完善--基于港珠澳大桥和欧盟TEN-T项目的比较

跨区域基础设施项目的建设、运营和管理是区域治理的重要内容之一,往往面临集体行动困境。因此,需要建立区域治理的协调制度来协调多元治理主体、项目建设和不同利益群体这三个层面来克服集体行动困境,共同提供跨区域的公共产品和服务。欧盟和粤港澳大湾区在各自的跨区域基础设施项目中建立起了各具特色的区域协调制度。未来粤港澳大湾区跨区域基础设施的治理可以借鉴欧盟的经验,在法治化的框架下实施区域协调;完善中央层面、区域层面和地方层面的多元治理主体间的权能分配制度;区域协调机构应着重提升跨区域的公共利益;扩大区域治理的协调范围,创新公众参与机制。     

中国退役军人管理保障体制变革的理路与前瞻

退役军人事务部的组建实现了我国退役军人管理保障体制的历史性变革。本文在回顾新中国成立以来退役军人管理保障体制变革历程和分析其变革理路的基础上,瞻望未来。建议通过厘定协调领导体制、理顺部门关系、优化内部结构,在法治框架下健全完善由退役军人事务部主导、多部门协同的治理体制,积极推进退役军人管理保障体系和能力现代化。     

城镇化过程中农民家庭离散及治理研究——一个村庄的微观透视

家庭是社会的基石,农民家庭的稳定与幸福对于城镇化发展具有举足轻重的作用。改革开放40多年来,城镇化给城乡人民生活带来了巨大变化,也带来了新的挑战和困难。乡城流动过程中农民家庭发生异化,家庭成员或留或流,家庭处于离散状态。家庭离散虽然始于家庭,但要解决家庭离散问题,必须从制度入手,通过改变制度环境、实施制度关怀、实现多元合作治理,结束农民家庭的异态生存方式,给予其自由的迁移权。这不仅有利于实现农民家庭的体面劳动和幸福生活,而且也能为实现未来经济社会持续、稳定发展提供有力保障。     

取保候审突出问题“三清”难清之思考

以取保候审案件清、保证金底数清、取保候审人员情况为目标的取保候审突出问题专项督察行动,是对取保候审问题的一次全面清理。目前,工作中普遍感到“三清”难清,实有清理之必要,分析“三清”难清的主客观原因,必须着力在加大领导力度、加强部门配合、完善信息系统、规范制度机制、严格督察落实方面下工夫,彻底根除“三清”难清这一顽症。