Showing papers in "The Asian Journal of Public Administration in 1996"

Evolution of the Philippine Health Care System During the Last Forty Years of Development Administration

Abstract: This article discusses the influence of the evolving development administration emphases - centralisation and decentralisation — to health care delivery in the Philippines during the last four decades. It shows how prescriptions during the 1950s and 1960s led to the creation of a centrally planned Philippine health care system. The dysfunctions of this centralised system motivated development administration specialists to call for decentralisation in the 1970s. Initial attempts at decentralisation were mainly functionally and structurally-oriented, that is, the health care bureaucracy was reorganised and streamlined to ensure improved programme implementation especially at the local community level. However, the limitations of structural decentralisation created the demand for process decentralization efforts — an approach which concentrates on more social-behavioural changes and active stakeholder participation. Process decentralisation was used not only to improve implementation but also to ensure susta...

Changing Concepts of Decentralisation: Old Public Administration and New Public Management in the Asian Context

Abstract: (1996). Changing Concepts of Decentralisation: Old Public Administration and New Public Management in the Asian Context. Asian Journal of Public Administration: Vol. 18, No. 1, pp. 3-21.

The Quest for Accountability: Parliament and Public Administration in Bangladesh

Abstract: This article examines the scope and limits of parliamentary control over public administration in Bangladesh. It adopts a comparative approach, focusing on the use of surveillance techniques by members of Bangladesh’s first, second, and fifth parliaments. The evidence presented here shows that the three JSs, as a natural rule, have fared differently in scrutinising the activities of the government and administration. But the data do not always reveal any positive correlation between the nature of partisanship and the performance of the parliament in overseeing governmental activities. Furthermore, the various surveillance techniques do not generally appear to be very effective in probing into the operations of the government. Two factors that account for this are first, the intransigent attitude of the bureaucracy; and second, the lack of willingness and ability of MPs to seriously enquire into government policies and operations. The article suggests that the traditional control mechanisms be supplemented...

Asia's disparate political economies and prospects for transnational "convergence"

Abstract: Orthodox accounts of regional institutional development often stress the importance of establishing a transnational regulatory framework within which capitalist development can occur. Such accounts generally fail, however, to consider either the different forms of corporate organisation found across nations or the specifics of national political systems. There is generally an implicit assumption that national differences are either of minimal significance, or that a process of "convergence" is occurring towards a western-style, liberal-democratic end-point. This paper challenges these assumptions and suggests that attempts to establish legalistic, rule-based trade regimes like APEC will be difficult, especially where they threaten existent political structures or distributional coalitions. Moreover, it is suggested that if "convergence" does occur, it is not inevitable that it will be in the direction of greater democratic reform and political freedom.

Consultation with Business Interests: The Case of Hong Kong

Abstract: Hong Kong was occupied to provide a secure base for British trade with China. Businessness have always held the majority of the places open to non-government members in the Executive Council, the Legislative Council and Advisory Committees, giving them virtually veto power over government policy making. Where the colonial government decides to act in spite of business objections, businessmen still exert substanial influence over the details of policy implementation. In recent years the power of business has somewhat diminished since the government has been obliged to pay more attention to public opinion, political parties and environmental pressure groups. In 1992 Governor Patten went ahead with plans to democratise the electoral system despite the united opposition of the business community.

Dynamism and development : economic growth and social change in post-Mao China

Abstract: As China enters into the seventeenth year of reform, the success of its economic policies has been widely recognised. This paper examines the theme of dynamism and development by examining the link between economic growth and social change. The first half of the paper discusses the social effects of rapid growth. In the second half, an area example, that of the Pearl River Delta, is offered to illustrate some of the growth-related issues and the relationship with social development, with particular reference to the question whether China has become a “risk society” resulting from “rush-to” modernisation. The authors argue that rapid economic growth may not bring about social progress, but rather, create ineffective social management if development is not conceived from a holistic and comprehensive perspective. Therefore, we must examine social development and economic growth as interrelated phenomena, paying particular attention to complementarity in public policy, social development, and market-related e...

Anti-Discrimination Legislation and Gender Equality in Hong Kong: A Philosophical and Jurisprudential Discussion

Abstract: This article discusses the philosophical underpinnings and jurisprudence of the Sex Discrimination Ordinance in Hong Kong. Underlying anti-discrimination legislation is the political value of equality, which is of central importance to a liberal democratic regime. However, a discussion of the jurisprudence of anti-discrimination laws as evolved in western slates shows that it embodies only a limited notion of equal opportunity. Promoting democratic equality in Hong Kong requires substantial policy innovation other than the introduction of anti-discrimination legislation.

Learning from Singapore: Road to Non-Agonised Budgeting

Abstract: For many countries, budgeting has become a tortuous experience. Balancing an increasingly unbalancable budget has become the main preoccupation. Should budgeting be such a dismal exercise? Is there a happier scenario which can serve as a model for these countries? Singapore is an oasis in budgeting. It has continued annually to enjoy a budget surplus, to accumulate official foreign reserves, and to receive a high investment income. Using mainly statistical data, this article seeks to provide explanations for Singapore's success in this respect. The article ends with a suggestion for an international conference on budgeting to be held in Singapore so that the international community can study and analyse Singapore's achievement in budgeting and public finance for the purpose of benefitting from its experience.

A Strategic Perspective on Public Administration Problems in Taiwan

Abstract: Like many developing countries, the government of Taiwan is facing the problem of how to reconcile the conflicts among traditional culture, democratisation, and industrialisation. Administrative reforms have often been initiated as solutions to the problem. This article attempts to help decision-makers in Taiwan deal with the complexity of administrative reforms by adopting the process of strategic planning. The study simulates the first two stages in the policy process - problem identification and policy initiation. Administrative problems were identified by public administration experts through a survey, and the substance of the problems was analysed according to the framework developed by Gabris. The problems cited result primarily from the internally and externally generated frustrations experienced by public employees. According to practitioner respondents, remedies for the problems would require major changes at higher decision-making levels and changes in society’s conception of the public sector. ...