Suchergebnisse

Buchvorstellung von:Aktionsbündnis Menschenrechte-Philippinen (Hrsg.), Human Rights in the Philippines. Trends and Challenges under the Aquino Government. Essen: Asienstiftung. ISBN 978-3-933341-57-0.

In der vorliegenden Arbeit wurde untersucht, inwieweit durch lokale Wirtschaftsförderungsinitiativen in Namibia Projekte zur Minderung von Treibhausgasen angestoßen werden können. Dabei wurde insbesondere geprüft, ob der Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) des Kyotoprotokolls sinnvoll genutzt werden kann. Dazu wurden zuerst die Faktoren (Potential für Minderungsprojekte, Geschäfts- und Investitionsklima, institutionelle Rahmenbedingungen, etc.), die die Initiierung von Projekten fördern oder behindern können, diskutiert. In einem weiteren Schritt wurde analysiert, welche Einstellung Klima- und Energieexperten und Personen, die im Bereich lokaler und regionaler Wirtschaftsförderung tätig sind, zur Forschungsfrage haben. Dazu wurden 229 Fragebögen, 28 individuelle Interviews und eine Fokusgruppendiskussion mit 20 Teilnehmern ausgewertet. Des Weiteren wurde die praktische Umsetzbarkeit entsprechender Maßnahmen mit Hilfe einer vom Autor initiierten "real life"-Fallstudie untersucht. Während der Entwicklung einer lokalen Wirtschaftsförderungsstrategie in der namibischen Region Otjozondjupa wurde auch das dortige Potential für Treibhausgasminderungsprojekte eingeschätzt, darauf basierend wurden Projektideen entwickelt und deren nachhaltige soziale und wirtschaftliche Auswirkungen beurteilt. Erfolg versprechende Projekte wurden anschließend in die Strategie zur Implementierung integriert. Aufgrund verschiedener Faktoren wie beispielsweise der Komplexität von CDM, dem geringen Ausstoß von Treibhausgasen in Namibia, der schlechten Marktsituation für Emissionsrechte und unzureichender finanzieller Mittel hat die Initiierung von CDM-Projekten durch lokale Wirtschaftsförderung in Namibia den im Rahmen der vorliegenden durchgeführten Untersuchungen zufolge wenig Aussicht auf Erfolg. Jedoch besteht seitens der Akteure die grundsätzliche Bereitschaft, Minderungsprojekte in lokale Wirtschaftsförderung zu integrieren, wenn damit vorrangig die Ziele der Wirtschaftsförderung erreicht werden. Die Untersuchung zeigte, dass lokal initiierte Minderungsprojekte kaum zur Schaffung von Einkommensquellen oder Arbeitsplätzen beitragen. Stattdessen sollten eher nationale strategische Ziele verfolgt werden, wie z. B. eine flächendeckende Elektrizitätsversorgung oder die Verminderung der Abhängigkeit von Stromimporten. Dazu müsste bei lokaler Wirtschaftsförderung zukünftig auch der Energiesektor eine größere Rolle spielen, lokale Verwaltungen müssten die Verantwortung für die Initiierung von Energieprojekten übernehmen, nationale und lokale Behörden müssten effizienter zusammenarbeiten und die lokalen Rahmenbedingungen müssten so verbessert werden, dass der Privatsektor bereit ist, seine Rolle in der Wirtschaftsförderung zu übernehmen. Darüber hinaus sollten die Interessen der Bevölkerung berücksichtigt und alle Akteure frühzeitig in Entscheidungsprozesse eingebunden werden. ; This study explored the question whether greenhouse gas mitigation projects in Namibia could be initiated through local economic development programmes. In particular, research was done on whether the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) of the Kyoto Protocol could play an essential role in the promotion of such mitigation projects. In a first step supporting and inhibiting factors (potential for mitigation projects, business and investment climate, institutions, etc.) were discussed, which have a negative or positive influence on mitigation projects. In a second step the mind-set of climate and energy experts as well as of local economic development experts and practitioners was analysed with regard to the research questions. To this end, 229 questionnaires, 28 interviews and the output of a focus group discussion with 20 participants were evaluated. Additionally, the author conducted a real life case study to investigate the practicability of initiating greenhouse gas mitigation projects through local economic development efforts. Parallel to the development of an economic development strategy in the Namibian region of Otjozondjupa, the potential for greenhouse gas mitigation projects was explored. Based on the outcome of this investigation project ideas were developed and their potential socio-economic impact was evaluated. Promising projects were then included into the development strategy. Due to various factors such as the complexity of CDM, low greenhouse gas emissions in Namibia, the low price of emission rights and insufficient financial means it is unlikely that CDM projects can be initiated through local economic development initiatives in Namibia. However, many stakeholders consider the idea of interlinking mitigation projects and local economic development initiatives favourably as long as such projects support the broader objectives of those initiatives. This research has shown that locally initiated mitigation projects do not contribute much to employment or income generation at the local level in Namibia. Thus, national strategic objectives should be considered, such as improving access to electricity to all strata of society or becoming less dependent on electricity imports. This requires, however, that local economic development strategies also cover the energy sector, that local governments are willing and capacitated to initiate mitigation projects, that national and local public institutions work together more closely, that national and local economic framework conditions are improved so as to attract private investments, and that the experiences and interests of the relevant stakeholders are considered throughout the project development process.

This study uses roll-call voting data from 16 legislatures to investigate how the institutional context of politics—such as whether a country is a parliamentary or presidential regime, or has a single-party, coalition or minority government—shapes coalition formation and voting behavior in parliaments. It uses a geometric scaling metric to estimate the "revealed space" in each of these legislatures and a vote-by-vote statistical analysis to identify how much of this space can be explained by government-opposition dynamics as opposed to parties' (left-right) policy positions. Government-opposition interests, rather than parties' policy positions, are found to be the main drivers of voting behavior in most institutional contexts. In contrast, issue-by-issue coalition building along a single policy dimension is only found under certain restrictive institutional constraints: presidential regimes with coalition governments or parliamentary systems with minority governments. Put another way, voting in most legislatures is more like Westminster than Washington.

The main purpose of this study is to provide a detailed statistical overview of the time and regional distribution, relative timing occurrence of economic crises and government changes in 51 economies over the 1990–2007 periods. At the same time, the predictive power of the economic crises on set government changes will be examined using "signal approach". The result showed that the percentage of government changes is highest in transition economies (86 percent of observations) and lowest in Latin American economies (39 percent of observations). The percentages of government changes are same in both developed and developing countries (43 percent of observations). However, average crises per year (frequency of crises) are higher (lower) in developing (developed) countries than developed (developing) countries. Also, the predictive power of economic crises about the onset of a government change is highest in Transition economies (81 percent) and lowest in Latin American countries (30 percent). The predictive power of economic crises in developing countries (43 percent) is lower than developed countries (55 percent).

We try to demonstrate how economists may engage in research on comparative politics, relating the size and composition of government spending to the political system. A Downsian model of electoral competition and forward-looking voting indicates that majoritarian - as opposed to proportional - elections increase competition between parties by focusing it into some key marginal districts. This leads to less public goods, less rents for politicians, more redistribution and larger government. A model of legislative bargaining and backward-looking voting indicates that presidential - as opposed to parliamentary - regimes increase competition between both politicians and voters. This leads to less public goods, less rents for politicians, less redistribution, and smaller government. We confront these predictions with cross-country data from around 1990, controlling for economic and social determinants of government spending. We find strong and robust support for the prediction that the size of government is smaller under presidential regimes, and weaker support for the prediction that majoritarian elections are associated with less public goods.

In the five years since the collapse of communist rule in Eastern Europe, there has been a major shift in the way in which development aid is conceived and discussed in the aid agencies and foreign affairs ministries of the donor nations. There is a new agenda, the " new political conditionality " or "good government " agenda. Formally, at least, aid increasingly is being tied to the practice of "good government " as defined by the aid donors. Aid projects are now being justified in terms of their contribution to this god. More significantly, the practice of good government by recipients is becoming a general condition for eligibility for aid. The coercion of the Kenyan government into holding general elections in December 1992 has been the most vivid and publicized example of such practice to date, It is widely believed that there have been several other instances recently where aid donors, generally acting more covertly than in the Kenyan case, have had a major influence on the constitution of African governments.

The place of public higher education in the overall 2013 state policy tapestry was unclear and varied considerably from state to state. History suggests that in any given year a distinct theme will emerge from higher education agendas across the states. This report points out the top ten higher education state policy issues in 2013. ; American Association of State Colleges and Universities

Prenant le relais des études qui se sont intéressées au lien entre immigration et vieillissement démographique, cet article vise à isoler, au sein des données canadiennes existantes, les divers aspects de la mécanique démographique qui sous-tendent cette relation : structure par âge de la population immigrante à l'arrivée, vieillissement des immigrants au Canada, fait qu'ils donnent naissance à des enfants au Canada, différences entre immigrants et non-immigrants à l'égard de la fécondité, de la mortalité et de l'émigration. À cette fin, les auteurs ont développé des scénarios de projection qu'ils ont intégrés au modèle de projection par microsimulation Demosim, puis ont analysé au moyen de ceux-ci des indicateurs projetés de la structure par âge de la population, et ce, pour la période de 2006 à 2106. Exploitant la richesse du contenu de ce modèle et son potentiel analytique, ils montrent que les spécificités démographiques des populations immigrantes du Canada affectent bel et bien la structure par âge de la population dans son ensemble, mais par le biais d'effets, les uns vieillissants et les autres rajeunissants, qui se compensent en grande partie.

Over the years, the trade performance of CARICOM states has decreased as a result of poor direct investment inflows, increasing global competition and the dependence of CARICOM states on their long-standing relationships with Europe and the US. The East Asian market is one of the fastest-growing regions in the world and has been highlighted as a potential region for CARICOM states to diversify their export markets. China is the largest entity within this market and is one of the world's largest trading nations. China's economic prowess has growing influence, and coupled with the erosion of CARICOM's traditional trading relationships, it is essential to explore the possibility of engaging in deeper economic relations with China. Ultimately, this article proposes the creation of a comprehensive economic and trade agreement between CARICOM and China, based on a model agreement developed between Canada and the European Union. Therefore, this article will: outline the current economic relationship between CARICOM and China, and assess its impact; identify the parties' interests; explain the concept of a comprehensive economic and trade agreement; explore the possible effects of entering into such a comprehensive economic and trade agreement with China; and, lastly, offer considerations on provisions that can be included to ensure the viability of the agreement.

The paper explores the precarious balance between modernizing monetary systems by means of digital currencies (either issued by the central bank itself or independently) and safeguarding financial stability as also ensured by tangible payment (and saving) instruments like paper money. Which aspects of modern payments systems could contribute to improve the way of functioning of today's globalized economy? And, which might even threaten the above mentioned instable equilibrium? This survey-paper aims, precisely, at giving some preliminary answers to a complex - therefore, ongoing - debate at scientific as well as banking and political level.

"Seit Maastricht stehen die internationale Herausforderung nationaler Interessenpolitik, die Möglichkeiten und Grenzen einer Internationalisierung der Gewerkschaftsorganisationen und -politik im Zentrum der Gewerkschaftsforschung. Der vorliegende Aufsatz analysiert den Versuch von Seeleuteverbänden, die der Internationalen Transportarbeiter Föderation (ITF) angeschlossen sind, ein System multinationaler industrieller Beziehungen und Kollektivverhandlungen zur Regulierung der Schattenflaggenschifffahrt zu institutionalisieren, welche die nationale Gewerkschaftspolitik in internationale Interdependenzen einbindet. Hier wurden nationale Tarifverhandlungen souveräner Einzelgewerkschaften einer multinationalen Kontrolle unterworfen und zentrale nationalgewerkschaftliche Tätigkeitsfelder in ein System international governance eingebunden. Die Regimebildung setzte in der Internationalen Organisation Machtungleichgewichte zwischen Verbänden kapitalexportierender Industrie- und arbeitskräfteexportierender Schwellenländer und Besonderheiten des Seetransports voraus. Deshalb ist dieses Beispiel eines singulären internationalen Tarifvertragssystems kaum auf andere Industriebranchen übertragbar." (Autorenreferat)

Intro -- Acknowledgments -- Praise for Environmental Governance and Greening Fiscal Policy -- Contents -- About the Author -- Acronyms -- List of Figures -- List of Tables -- List of Boxes -- 1 Introduction: The Twin Environmental Crises and Wishful Thinking -- 1 Setting the Scene -- 2 Theory of Change -- 3 The Roles of Government, Markets, and Civil Society -- 3.1 Role of the Private Sector -- 3.2 Role of Civil Society -- 3.3 International Influences -- 4 Overview of the Book -- Appendix 1: Simplified High-Level Theory of Change -- References -- 2 Reporting on the State of the Environment -- 1 Introduction -- 2 The Framework for National State of the Environment Reporting -- 3 Country Practices in Environmental Reporting -- 4 Weaknesses and Proposals for Reform -- 4.1 The DPSIR Framework is Largely Backward Looking -- 4.2 Independence -- 4.3 SOERs May Fail to Highlight the Areas of Most Concern -- 4.4 Governments Are Not Required to Respond to an SOER -- 4.5 Gaps in the Data and/or in Its Analysis of Varying Severity -- 4.6 Capacity Gaps -- 4.7 Potential Link to the Electoral Cycle -- References -- 3 Mainstreaming Environmental Stewardship in Government Strategy and Policy -- 1 Incorporating Environmental Targets in Overall Government Strategy: Developing a Dashboard of Key Environmental, Economic, and Social Indicators -- 2 Comparative Policy Governance: The Importance of Requirements to Set Policy Goals and Targets for Environmental Outcomes -- 3 Integrating Environmental Objectives and Targets in Fiscal Strategy and the Annual Budget -- References -- 4 The Evolution of Green Budgeting -- 1 Introduction -- 2 Definition of Terms -- 3 Fiscal Policies and the Environment: Two-Way Interactions -- 4 The Evolution of Climate Budgeting and Green Budgeting -- 4.1 Development of Guidance -- 4.2 Country Practices in Climate Budgeting and Green Budgeting.

Purpose
This study aims to fulfill the research gap by suggesting an appropriate and adaptable e-government (e-gov) maturity model for Pakistan not just in the abstract pattern relatively but also in a practical solution assured by the industry experts.


Design/methodology/approach
The qualitative research approach using key informants from the public sector domain; furthermore, e-gov performance artifacts were verified by the citizens through the process of focus group interviews.


Findings
The major finding of the study is the development of e-gov maturity model with implementations artifacts in proposed stages as follows: availability, interaction, integration, transactions and public participation.


Research limitations/implications
This study contributes a qualitative meta-synthesis in the field of e-gov maturity models and could support researchers who are in a quest of knowledge and references to develop new maturity models for their specific countries by providing them with useful resources for further investigation and study.


Practical implications
This maturity model will strengthen the argument that the e-gov services are necessary for the acceptance behaviour of the citizens and the prosperous public administration by the Government in Pakistan. This research strengthens the science-policy interface that has prevented governments from delivering changes on the ground to the public, and it will also identify diversified opportunities for the e-gov sector that can reverse the lack of investment in this domain.


Social implications
The study intends to provide directions to policymakers for the development of e-gov services for the citizens. Additionally, the public value of e-gov can be better understood in the form of citizens' expectations from the government and this model will integrate public participation in the development of e-gov service.


Originality/value
The public value of e-gov can be better understood in the form citizens' expectations from the government through this maturity model, furthermore, it can be recommended that the government can improve the relationship between the citizens and the state through the use of information and communication technologies which will strengthen the democratic process in Pakistan.

The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development recognizes the importance of the active participation of local actors in the appropriation, implementation and achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), so that the processes of planning, execution, monitoring and control of strategies aimed at the integral well-being of the population, they should not be assumed only by the local government, as the body responsible for creating basic conditions in the territory for population settlement and the development of activities, but each of the agents that make life in that space must assume their commitment, as guarantors of their duties and rights, in the production of social relations that constitute society. Under this premise, a methodological guide of the planning process is proposed, simple and practical, where seven stages are differentiated in the formulation of the plan, from the conformation of the technical-institutional base, to the formalization of the result of the process, indicating in each of them, its objective, activities involved and suggested participation tool. With the guidance of a technical team of the municipality and intervention of local social actors in the various phases of the process, governments will obtain a joint management instrument, creating and executing strategic actions in a concerted and committed manner. This proposal arises in response to the results obtained in a study carried out in the Alta Gracia and Jesús María municipalities of the Province of Córdoba - Argentina, where their recent planning processes and the participation of local actors in them were analyzed. The study was advised by the Institute of Research and Training in Public Administration (IIFAP) and funding from the Latin American Center for Interdisciplinary Training (CELFI), as a contribution to the effectiveness of planning processes in public management. Keywords: Methodology, planning, participation, 2030 Agenda, Sustainable Development Goals. ; La Agenda 2030 para el Desarrollo Sostenible, ...