Institutionalizing Local Government as an Instrument of Democratic Consolidation: The Cases of Bulgaria and Paraguay

• Authors: Polya Katsamunska , Allan Rosenbaum
• Languages of publication: EN

Abstracts

EN

Multi-level governance is widely used throughout the world, especially in more economically developed countries. In part, this is due to the presumed benefits of decentralization in terms of public-service delivery, and in part, it is due to a desire to disperse political power and governmental authority. Thus, 25 years ago, when major governmental reform initiatives were begun in many countries around the world, especially in Central and Eastern Europe and Latin America, much attention was devoted to establishing and / or strengthening local governments. This was the case in Bulgaria and Paraguay, two countries from different parts of the world, but similar in size, economic development and a history of highly centralized and authoritarian regimes. The purpose of this paper is to examine and better understand the processes of decentralization as they took place in those two countries and those factors which facilitated and / or hindered efforts to initiate effective local government.

• Publisher: Sciendo
• Journal: NISPAcee Journal of Public Administration and Policy
• Year: 2014
• Volume: 7
• Issue: 2
• Pages: 99-115

Dates

published

2014-12-01

online

2015-03-04

Contributors

author

Polya Katsamunska

author

Allan Rosenbaum

References

• Ananieva, N. Undated Manuscript. Local Self-Government in the Republic of Bulgaria: from Constitutionally Proclaimed Principles to Eff ective Actions.
• Ballard, Rachel and Allan Rosenbaum. 1999. “Reforming Municipal Budgeting and Finance Management in a South American City: A Case Study of Asuncion, Paraguay.” In E. H. Valsan (ed.). Democracy, Decentralization and Development Selected International Experiences. Copyright International Association of Schools and Institutes of Administration, Brussels, Belgium. Printed in Egypt at the American University in Cairo Press, 60 - 72.
• Constitution of the Republic of Bulgaria, adopted № 12 July 1991.
• Foundation for Local Government Reform Database. Available at www.flgr.bg.
• National Association of the Municipalities in the Republic of Bulgaria Database. Available at www.namrb.org.
• Rosenbaum, Allan. 2009. “Decentralization, Local Government and Democratic Institution Building” in Journal of Regional Studies and Development 18(1), 59 - 81.
• Rosenbaum, Allan, Cristina Rodriguez Lagier, Karen Shaw, Victor Jacinto Flecha, Todd Sorenson and Alejandro.
• Rodriguez. 1995. PARAGUAY Decentralization, Subnational Government, Citizen Participation and the Process of Democratization: A Diagnostic Analysis For: Local Governance and Municipal Development.
• Project Contract Number 598-0799-C-00-3325-00. Quito, Ecuador; United States Agency for International Development.
• Stoilova, D. Undated Manuscript. Local Government Reforms in Bulgaria: Recent Developments and Key Challenges.

Identifiers

DOI

10.2478/nispa-2014-0005