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36162. Local Administration of Social Assistance Programs in Russia
- Author:
- Raymond J. Struyk and Burton Richman
- Publication Date:
- 10-2000
- Content Type:
- Working Paper
- Institution:
- Urban Institute
- Abstract:
- Competent administration is fundamental to successful reform of social assistance programs in transition economies. Only with such administration is there assurance that benefits are being delivered as intended in enabling legislation. Moreover, the perceived efficiency and fairness of administration influences the public's views of the new programs. In the Russian Federation local governments have primary responsibility for the administration of social assistance programs enacted by all levels of government
- Topic:
- Economics, Government, and Human Welfare
- Political Geography:
- Russia, Europe, and Asia
36163. Regional Economic Development in Eastern Europe: An Example from Poland
- Author:
- Raymond Struyk and Sharon Cooley
- Publication Date:
- 07-2000
- Content Type:
- Working Paper
- Institution:
- Urban Institute
- Abstract:
- Small cities and towns are rapidly being recognized as key actors on the road to sustained economic development in the countries of Eastern Europe. Whether they are able to execute this central role will depend on their being able to undertake essential investments—which in turn requires the availability of finance and the strengthening of local administrative capacity.
- Topic:
- Development, Economics, and Government
- Political Geography:
- Europe and Eastern Europe
36164. Illegal Aliens in Federal, State, and Local Criminal Justice Systems
- Author:
- Rebecca Clark and Scott Anderson
- Publication Date:
- 06-2000
- Content Type:
- Working Paper
- Institution:
- Urban Institute
- Abstract:
- With the rising concern about the numbers and impacts of illegal aliens in the United States — as evidenced by the sweeping passage of Proposition 187 in California, the immigrant provisions in 1996 Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act (PRWORA), and Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996 (IIRIRA) — criminal illegal aliens have become a subject of particular focus. These individuals have not only entered or resided in the United States without the knowledge or permission of the U.S. government, but, while here, they have also violated the laws of the nation, its states, or municipalities.
- Topic:
- Government, International Law, and Migration
- Political Geography:
- United States
36165. Wage Coordination and the Welfare State: Germany and Japan Compared
- Author:
- Philip Manow
- Publication Date:
- 12-2000
- Content Type:
- Working Paper
- Institution:
- Max Planck Institute for the Study of Societies
- Abstract:
- Is there a relation between welfare state regimes and national wage setting systems? Peter Swenson in his research on the historical dynamics of the US-American and Swedish welfare state has recently claimed that such a relation does indeed exist. The essay aims to check if this also holds true for the German and Japanese case. In the post-war period both countries have established systems of wage-bargaining that are less centralized than the Swedish system, but in which wages are highly coordinated both within and across sectors, and, subsequently, in which wage compression is relatively high as well. Thus, both countries are confronted with the same problems of wage- and welfare-drift and of firms' exit from the 'solidaristic' or coordinated wage setting that are so typical for Sweden. At the same time the German and Japanese welfare state differ from each other in almost all dimensions. Thus, both cases seem to be ideally suited to provide for a plausibility-check of the Swenson hypothesis. The essay reaches the conclusion that there is indeed ample evidence that both the German and the Japanese welfare state contributed critically to the stability of wage coordination in the era of high growth after World War II. They thus have to be understood as an integral part of the German and Japanese post-war growth model.
- Topic:
- Economics, Human Welfare, and International Trade and Finance
- Political Geography:
- United States, Japan, America, and Germany
36166. Notes Toward a Theory of Multilevel Governing in Europe
- Author:
- Fritz W. Scharpf
- Publication Date:
- 05-2000
- Content Type:
- Working Paper
- Institution:
- Max Planck Institute for the Study of Societies
- Abstract:
- The complexity of the multi-level European polity is not adequately represented by the single-level theoretical concepts of competing "intergovernmentalist" and "supranationalist" approaches. By contrast, empirical research focusing on multilevel interactions tends either to emphasize the uniqueness of its objects, or to create novel concepts – which are likely to remain contested even among Europeanists and have the effect of isolating European studies from the political science mainstream in International Relations and Comparative Politics. These difficulties are bound to continue as long as researchers keep proposing holistic concepts that claim to represent the complex reality of the European polity as a whole. It is suggested that the present competition among poorly fitting and contested generalizations could be overcome if European studies made use of a plurality of simpler and complementary concepts, each of which is meant to represent the specific characteristics of certain subsets of multi-level interactions – which could also be applied and tested in other fields of political-science research. The paper goes on to describe four distinct modes of multi-level interaction in the European polity – "mutual adjustment", "intergovernmental negotiations", "joint-decision making", and "hierarchical direction" – and to discuss their characteristics by reference to the criteria of problem-solving capacity and institutional legitimacy.
- Topic:
- International Relations, Government, and Politics
- Political Geography:
- Europe
36167. Institutions in Comparative Policy Research
- Author:
- Fritz W. Scharpf
- Publication Date:
- 03-2000
- Content Type:
- Working Paper
- Institution:
- Max Planck Institute for the Study of Societies
- Abstract:
- Varieties of the "new institutionalism" hold a promise of theoretical integration across several sub-disciplines of the social sciences and a wide range of research fields, including comparative politics, the study of European integration, comparative political economy, comparative industrial relations, or comparative industrial governance (Hall Taylor 1996; Jupille Caporaso 1999; Thelen 1999). There are thus good reasons to explore the usefulness of institutional explanations in comparative policy research as well. But in doing so, we need to be aware of the special conditions that complicate their application in this particular field. To begin with, it seems useful to specify the ways in which institutionalist and policy perspectives may intersect.
- Topic:
- Education and Politics
- Political Geography:
- Europe
36168. Matters of Faith: Religion in American Public Life
- Publication Date:
- 03-2000
- Content Type:
- Working Paper
- Abstract:
- A report from the Assembly of the same name, convened in Harriman, New York in March 2000.
36169. The Public Life of the Arts in America
- Publication Date:
- 04-2000
- Content Type:
- Working Paper
- Abstract:
- Art and entertainment constitute America's second-largest export. Most Americans--96 percent, to be exact--are somehow involved in the arts, whether as audience participants, hobbyists, or via broadcast, recording, video, or the Internet. The contribution of the arts to the U.S. economy is stunning: the nonprofit arts industry alone contributes over 857 billion dollars per year, and American artists enjoy world-class status. Despite its size, quality, and economic impact, the arts community is not articulate about how to serve the public interest, and few citizens have an appreciation of the many public policies that influence American arts and culture. The contributors to this volume argue that support for the arts and culture is good economic and trade policy and contributes to the quality of life and community, while it sustains the creativity of American artists and organizations.
36170. Reweaving the Social Tapestry: Public Policies for American Families
- Publication Date:
- 09-2000
- Content Type:
- Working Paper
- Abstract:
- The American Assembly on "Reweaving the Social Tapestry: Public Policies for American Families" convened on September 21-24, 2000 in Kansas City, Missouri. Participants concluded that families can play a vital role in bringing America to greater unity. Yet even the definition of "family" can be a source of great division. The group's recommendations encouraged business and government initiatives designed to support this core societal structure.