Suchergebnisse

The US governance model created in the 1930s & known as Big Government is analyzed within the context of its application in foreign policy. The author looks into the foreign policy role of the American federal government, the dynamics of the relationship between the executive & the legislative branches during & following the Cold War period, & the changes occurring after the terrorist attacks on 11 September 2001. Emphasis is on analysis of the Cold War legacy of the so-called nontraditional instruments of foreign policy interventions or the resources & techniques of covert activity. The author concludes that the extensive utilization of these instruments has significantly undermined the principle of limited federal government as one of the fundaments of American politics. However, in light of the new mobilization of resources in the fight against terrorism, it is necessary once again to evaluate the means of covert activity. 14 References. Adapted from the source document.

The author explains the policy account of government & points out that policy is only one of the many possible accounts of the process of government. The policy perspective is characterized by an understanding of government as a more or less conscious attempt to manage collective problems. Still, even inside the policy camp, there are three different accounts of policy: authoritative choice, structured interaction & social construction. The author concludes that the three accounts are complementary & useful for understanding the process of government. References. Adapted from the source document.

If the functioning of the fiscal system implies the functioning of democracy, then the interest in its smooth operation is understandable. Particularly important is its segment concerning the financing of local government & self-government. Well-regulated relations between the state & local communities is the basic prerequisite of economic, social, & any other development. The decentralization of the fiscal system in the Republic of Croatia is one of the barriers standing in the way of achieving these goals. The crucial question is the acceptable degree of decentralization, economically & politically. The experiences of other European countries may serve as a basis for regulating the fiscal relations among the higher & lower levels of government. The central government should retain only those responsibilities that cannot be carried out by the units of local government & self-government. 3 Tables, 25 References. Adapted from the source document.

The paper deals with the possible impact of globalization & decentralization on the future role of public spending in Croatia. In the first part, the author describes the elements of government intervention in the economic process during the 20th century & the theoretical origin of public goods as a resource that the market is incapable of efficiently providing. Then, the characteristics of the process of globalization & decentralization (localization) are listed. These are the two simultaneous processes whose intensification leads to the reduction of the regulative role of the nation-state & public spending. Discussed in conclusion are the structure of public spending in Croatia, & the possible impact of the two processes on its structure & volume. 6 Tables. Adapted from the source document.

Considers the application of formalized models in the study of public administration in the federally structured American administration. The theory of American federalism has taught us that the expenses of the implementation of political decisions are inversely proportionate to the administrative level of their application: the expenses are bigger if the implementation is done at lower administrative levels, ie, state or local, instead of by federal authorities. On the other hand, this theory claims that decision-making expenses are proportionate to the level of decision making: the lower the decision-making level, the smaller the expenses. The American experience in the arena of energy policy -- oil & gas -- confirms the model's rationale, & it is applicable to other fields: the optimal effect & the minimal expenses have been achieved in the situation in which political regulations are decided on at the state level, while their implementation lies in the domain of federal government. 1 Table, 3 Figures, 10 References. Adapted from the source document.

Slovenia & Croatia differ greatly concerning the political position of their trade unions & their clout in political decision-making. The Slovenian way & pattern is inclusive & the Croatian conflictual. The difference -- despite the common historical legacy of Yugoslav self-management -- can be explained by the political interventions of the governments & the elites that played the dominant role in the early, formative, years of the transition. The pattern entrenched in that period persists, even when some radical reform is attempted & a new path chosen. Such a reversal was attempted after 2000 both in Slovenia & Croatia, but both attempts failed. References. Adapted from the source document.

In this text the author deals with the analysis of the fundamental legal texts regulating local self-government & administration in the Republic of Croatia & to what extent they are 'the fall guys' to be blamed for the state the systems of local self-government & administration are in. He concludes that these laws are a major generator (though not the only one) of the crisis of local self-government & administration in the Republic of Croatia. 16 References. Adapted from the source document.

The author claims that we are living in a time of formal democracy & multipartyism. He advocates a thesis that the Croatian government tolerates the opposition but at the same time deligitimizes it & renders it untrustworthy. The government does not rule by the book & has no systematic ideology. Thus three types of opposition are immanent to it: the one that leads into totalitarianism, the one that strives towards democracy, & finally the one that is given to internal reforms. The key condition for the success of the move towards democracy in Croatia is in countering nationalism & in coexistence within a heterogeneous society with a functional elite & interdependence as a principle. Adapted from the source document.

One of the most significant results of European convergence is an increase in the number of channels for the "European" policy activities of subnational actors. These actors are no longer limited to bilateral political relations & national i.e. state actors, but are to cooperate & communicate with different actors in different arenas of decision-making & make use of various channels of influencing the European policy process. The question of subnational mobilization has become extremely significant in the theory of European convergence, particularly following the major reform of the EU cohesion policy of 1988 & the introduction of the partnership principle. In that sense, the mobilization of subnational actors is closely linked to the evolution of the EU cohesion policy. Tt should be noted that despite this, the EU cohesion policy is primarily the essential catalyst of subnational mobilization & thus not "exclusively" linked to the public policy realm; it has increasingly become a prominent feature of other public-policy areas. And finally, hand in hand with the elaboration of the common cohesion policy (related to subnational mobilization) the concept of the so-called multilevel governance was formulated in the context of the European integration, in the sense of identifying the environment in which the processes of the formation & the implementation of common European policies are today taking place. Figures, References. Adapted from the source document.

In every state, local self-government is part of a political system that, among other things, includes various aspects of the position, structure, & operation of all bodies with public authority. The starting point in investigating systems of local self-government should be the structure of the entire state system: this should be followed by an analysis of the structure of its component local self-governing units. The first part of the research deals with the system's macro-organization, while the second looks into its micro-organization. First, it is necessary to identify what the system comprises, ie, which types of local self-government units exist & what their characteristics are with regard to size, strength, & capabilities for viable functioning; after that, their structures can be investigated individually. In investigating macro-organizations, it is important to pay attention to whether the system of local self-government is single- or multilevel, mono- or polytype, & what the size of individual units is. The study of micro-organization provides a picture of the condition & the composition of certain bodies of a unit, their functioning & relations, their scope, financial situation, degree of independence, forms of control, etc. The article offers a basic outline of the macro-organization (structure & territorial basis) & the micro-organization (of the internal structure & range) as well as of the systems of state control of local self-government in seven European states. These brief outlines of individual systems are followed by a parallel outline of all the systems. 7 Tables, 1 Appendix, 37 References. Adapted from the source document.