Showing papers on "Government published in 2017"

War Making and State Making as Organized Crime

Abstract: This chapter claims war makes states, and discusses that mercantile capitalism and state making reinforced each other The reflections that follow merely illustrate analogy of war making and state making with organized crime from few hundred years of European experience and offer tentative arguments concerning principles of change and variation underlying experience War making, extraction, and capital accumulation interacted to shape European state making Apologists for particular governments and for government in general commonly argue, precisely, that they offer protection from local and external violence Government's provision of protection, by this standard, often qualifies as racketeering European states built up their military apparatuses through sustained struggles with their subject populations and by means of selective extension of protection to different classes within those populations The agreements on protection constrained the rulers themselves, making them vulnerable to courts, to assemblies, to withdrawals of credit, services, and expertise

Bureaucracy and Representative Government

Abstract: This is the first book to develop a formal theory of supply by bureaus. Niskanen develops an original and comprehensive theory of the behavior of bureaus with the institutions of representative government. He challenges the traditional view that monopoly bureaus are the best way to organize the public sector, and he suggests ways to use competitive bureaus and private firms to perform operations such as delivering mail, fighting wars, or running schools more efficiently than the present government agencies. The theory concludes that most bureaus are too large, grow too fast, use too much capital, and exploit their sponsor. His theory explains the relation of the output and budget of a bureau to demand and cost decisions. It compares bureaus with other forms of organization facing like conditions and delineates the production and investment behavior of a bureau, the behavior of nonprofit firms with no sponsor, the behavior of mixed bureaus with financing from a sponsor and from the sale of services, the effects of competition between a bureau and a competitive industry. The book also develops a simple theory of the market for public services financed through a representative government; the final section suggests a set of changes to improve the performance of our bureaucratic and political institutions, based both on theory and Niskanen's professional experience. It is essential reading for professionals and students in the social sciences and could prove instrumental in reforming some of our government institutions.

How the Chinese Government Fabricates Social Media Posts for Strategic Distraction, Not Engaged Argument

Abstract: The Chinese government has long been suspected of hiring as many as 2 million people to surreptitiously insert huge numbers of pseudonymous and other deceptive writings into the stream of real social media posts, as if they were the genuine opinions of ordinary people. Many academics, and most journalists and activists, claim that these so-called 50c party posts vociferously argue for the government’s side in political and policy debates. As we show, this is also true of most posts openly accused on social media of being 50c. Yet almost no systematic empirical evidence exists for this claim or, more importantly, for the Chinese regime’s strategic objective in pursuing this activity. In the first large-scale empirical analysis of this operation, we show how to identify the secretive authors of these posts, the posts written by them, and their content. We estimate that the government fabricates and posts about 448 million social media comments a year. In contrast to prior claims, we show that the Chinese regime’s strategy is to avoid arguing with skeptics of the party and the government, and to not even discuss controversial issues. We show that the goal of this massive secretive operation is instead to distract the public and change the subject, as most of these posts involve cheerleading for China, the revolutionary history of the Communist Party, or other symbols of the regime. We discuss how these results fit with what is known about the Chinese censorship program and suggest how they may change our broader theoretical understanding of “common knowledge” and information control in authoritarian regimes.

Integration : the key to implementing the Sustainable Development Goals

Abstract: On 25 September, 2015, world leaders met at the United Nations in New York, where they adopted the Sustainable Development Goals. These 17 goals and 169 targets set out an agenda for sustainable development for all nations that embraces economic growth, social inclusion, and environmental protection. Now, the agenda moves from agreeing the goals to implementing and ultimately achieving them. Across the goals, 42 targets focus on means of implementation, and the final goal, Goal 17, is entirely devoted to means of implementation. However, these implementation targets are largely silent about interlinkages and interdependencies among goals. This leaves open the possibility of perverse outcomes and unrealised synergies. We demonstrate that there must be greater attention on interlinkages in three areas: across sectors (e.g., finance, agriculture, energy, and transport), across societal actors (local authorities, government agencies, private sector, and civil society), and between and among low, medium and high income countries. Drawing on a global sustainability science and practice perspective, we provide seven recommendations to improve these interlinkages at both global and national levels, in relation to the UN's categories of means of implementation: finance, technology, capacity building, trade, policy coherence, partnerships, and, finally, data, monitoring and accountability.

Treatment of substance use disorders through the government health facilities: Developments in the “Drug De-addiction Programme” of Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India

Abstract: Substance use disorder (SUD) is a major problem worldwide, including in India, and contributes significantly to morbidity and mortality. The Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, Government of India, addresses the prevention and rehabilitation aspect of substance use through the establishment of “rehabilitation centers” run by nongovernmental organizations. The Drug De-addiction Programme (DDAP) was initiated in 1988 under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India, and was mandated with provision of treatment for SUDs. Through the DDAP, de-addiction centers (DACs) have been established in government hospitals by providing a one-time financial grant by the central government, with the recurring expenses to be borne by the state governments. In addition, some premier institutions as well as DACs from Northeastern region are provided annual recurring grants for their functioning. Capacity building has been a major focus area of DDAP in which nonspecialist medical officers working in government hospitals have been trained, and various training materials have been developed. Another major area of work is the development of “drug abuse monitoring system” to track the pattern of drug use and profile among individuals seeking treatment in the DACs. Monitoring and evaluation exercises carried out show that the existing model of inpatient treatment and of shared responsibility between central and state governments is partially successful. The establishment of drug treatment clinics on pilot basis with a focus on outpatient treatment and direct support from the DDAP for staff as well as for medicines is showing encouraging results.

The Color of Law: A Forgotten History of How Our Government Segregated America

Abstract: The Color of Law examines the local, state and federal housing policies that mandated segregation. He notes that the Federal Housing Administration, which was established in 1934, furthered the segregation efforts by refusing to insure mortgages in and near African-American neighborhoods — a policy known as "redlining." At the same time, the FHA was subsidizing builders who were mass-producing entire subdivisions for whites — with the requirement that none of the homes be sold to AfricanAmericans. (Source)

Toward Blockchain-Based Accounting and Assurance

Abstract: Since 2009, blockchain has served as a potentially transformative information technology expected to be as revolutionary as the Internet. Originally developed as a methodology to record cryptocurrency transactions, blockchain's functionality has evolved into a large number of applications, such as banking, financial markets, insurance, voting systems, leasing contracts, and government service. Despite such advancements, the application of blockchain to accounting and assurance remains under-explored. This paper aims to provide an initial discussion on how blockchain could enable a real-time, verifiable, and transparent accounting ecosystem. Additionally, blockchain has the potential to transform current auditing practices, resulting in a more precise and timely automatic assurance system.

Motivated numeracy and enlightened self-government

Abstract: Why does public conflict over societal risks persist in the face of compelling and widely accessible scientific evidence? We conducted an experiment to probe two alternative answers: the ‘science comprehension thesis’ (SCT), which identifies defects in the public's knowledge and reasoning capacities as the source of such controversies; and the ‘identity-protective cognition thesis’ (ICT), which treats cultural conflict as disabling the faculties that members of the public use to make sense of decision-relevant science. In our experiment, we presented subjects with a difficult problem that turned on their ability to draw valid causal inferences from empirical data. As expected, subjects highest in numeracy – a measure of the ability and disposition to make use of quantitative information – did substantially better than less numerate ones when the data were presented as results from a study of a new skin rash treatment. Also as expected, subjects’ responses became politically polarized – and even less accurate – when the same data were presented as results from the study of a gun control ban. But contrary to the prediction of SCT, such polarization did not abate among subjects highest in numeracy; instead, it increased. This outcome supported ICT, which predicted that more numerate subjects would use their quantitative-reasoning capacity selectively to conform their interpretation of the data to the result most consistent with their political outlooks. We discuss the theoretical and practical significance of these findings.

Whose Call to Answer: Institutional Complexity and Firms’ CSR Reporting

Abstract: While research on the disclosure of CSR (corporate social responsibility) recognizes the influence of government regulations and guidelines, less attention has been given to the co-existence of con...

What Do We Mean by ‘Community Resilience’? A Systematic Literature Review of How It Is Defined in the Literature

Abstract: Background Government, industry and charitable organisations have an increasing focus on programs intended to support community resilience to disasters. But has consensus been reached as to what defines 'community resilience' and what its core characteristics are? Methods We undertook a systematic literature review of definitions of community resilience related to disasters. We conducted an inductive thematic analysis of the definitions and descriptions that we identified, in order to determine the proposed characteristics of community resilience prior to, during and after a disaster. Results We identified 80 relevant papers. There was no evidence of a common, agreed definition of community resilience. In spite of this, evidence was found of nine core elements of community resilience that were common among the definitions. The core elements were: local knowledge, community networks and relationships, communication, health, governance and leadership, resources, economic investment, preparedness, and mental outlook. Within these core elements, we identified 19 sub-elements linked to community resilience. Conclusion Our findings show that community resilience remains an amorphous concept that is understood and applied differently by different research groups. Yet in spite of the differences in conception and application, there are well-understood elements that are widely proposed as important for a resilient community. A focus on these individual elements may be more productive than attempting to define and study community resilience as a distinct concept.

Crisis of trust: Socio-economic determinants of Europeans’ confidence in government:

Abstract: Europeans’ confidence in political institutions has dropped precipitously since the onset of the Euro-crisis in 2009 The decline in trust in government varies across countries and occupational and educational groups Economic factors explain much of the cross-national and over-time variation The baseline level of trust is influenced by a person’s position in the labor market: across European countries, citizens with more education and higher levels of skills trust government more than those educational and occupational groups that have benefited less from European integration Residents of debtor countries with high unemployment rates are also much less likely to trust national government than those in creditor countries that have fared better during the economic crisis, while the unemployed have lost faith in government to a greater degree than other parts of the population Cultural, ideational, and political factors remain important for baseline levels of trust, but cannot explain the acute, asymmetr

To identify the critical success factors of sustainable supply chain management practices in the context of oil and gas industries: ISM approach

Abstract: The concept of sustainable supply chain management (SSCM) has been considered as an important organizational philosophy to achieve profits by reducing environmental risk and impact while improving the economic and social efficiency factors (ESEF). The objective of this paper is to present an approach to identify the critical success factors (CSFs) of motivation and encouragement, for the successful implementation of SSCM practices in Indian oil and gas industries. 32 CSFs were identified from the literature and opinions of academicians and industry practitioners. The Interpretive Structural Modeling (ISM) methodology was used for establishing the mutual relationships among the drivers, which not only helps in understanding the relative relationship between the CSFs but also in determining their interdependence while implementing sustainability. Further, the importance of CSFs with respect to sustainability was identified based on their driving and dependence power by using MICMAC analysis. “Global Climatic Pressure and Ecological Scarcity of Resources” was determined to be the most influential criterion that may force industries to implement sustainable practices. An example of Indian oil and gas industry has been presented to show the real-world applicability of the proposed model. This study may help academicians, government regulators, and practitioners to emphasize their efforts towards implementation of SSCM at various levels of organization.

The food-energy-water nexus: Transforming science for society

Abstract: Emerging interdisciplinary science efforts are providing new understanding of the interdependence of food, energy, and water (FEW) systems. These science advances, in turn, provide critical information for coordinated management to improve the affordability, reliability, and environmental sustainability of FEW systems. Here we describe the current state of the FEW nexus and approaches to managing resource conflicts through reducing demand and increasing supplies, storage, and transport. Despite significant advances within the past decade, there are still many challenges for the scientific community. Key challenges are the need for interdisciplinary science related to the FEW nexus; ground-based monitoring and modeling at local-to-regional scales; incorporating human and institutional behavior in models; partnerships among universities, industry, and government to develop policy relevant data; and systems modeling to evaluate trade-offs associated with FEW decisions.

Identifying mechanisms for facilitating knowledge to action strategies targeting the built environment

Abstract: In recent years, obesity-related diseases have been on the rise globally resulting in major challenges for health systems and society as a whole. Emerging research in population health suggests that interventions targeting the built environment may help reduce the burden of obesity and type 2 diabetes. However, translation of the evidence on the built environment into effective policy and planning changes requires engagement and collaboration between multiple sectors and government agencies for designing neighborhoods that are more conducive to healthy and active living. In this study, we identified knowledge gaps and other barriers to evidence-based decision-making and policy development related to the built environment; as well as the infrastructure, processes, and mechanisms needed to drive policy changes in this area. We conducted a qualitative thematic analysis of data collected through consultations with a broad group of stakeholders (N = 42) from Southern Ontario, Canada, within various sectors (public health, urban planning, and transportation) and levels of government (federal, provincial, and municipalities). Relevant themes were classified based on the specific phase of the knowledge-to-action cycle (research, translation, and implementation) in which they were most closely aligned. We identified 5 themes including: 1) the need for policy-informed and actionable research (e.g. health economic analyses and policy evaluations); 2) impactful messaging that targets all relevant sectors to create the political will necessary to drive policy change; 3) common measures and tools to increase capacity for monitoring and surveillance of built environment changes; (4) intersectoral collaboration and alignment within and between levels of government to enable collective actions and provide mechanisms for sharing of resources and expertise, (5) aligning public and private sector priorities to generate public demand and support for community action; and, (6) solution-focused implementation of research that will be tailored to meet the needs of policymakers and planners. Additional research priorities and key policy and planning actions were also noted. Our research highlights the necessity of involving stakeholders in identifying inter-sectoral solutions to develop and translate actionable research on the built environment into effective policy and planning initiatives.

Environmental Sustainability: A Case of Policy Implementation Failure?

Abstract: For a generation, governments around the world have been committed to sustainable development as a policy goal. This has been supported by an array of new policies ranging from international agreements, to national strategies, environmental laws at many levels of government, regional programs, and local plans. Despite these efforts, decades of scientific monitoring indicate that the world is no closer to environmental sustainability and in many respects the situation is getting worse. This paper argues that a significant contributing factor to this situation is policy implementation failure. A systematic review of the literature reveals that the failure to achieve the intended outcomes of environmental policies is due to economic, political and communication factors. Conflict between the objectives of environmental policies and those focused on economic development, a lack of incentives to implement environmental policies, and a failure to communicate objectives to key stakeholders are all key factors that contribute to the inability to attain environmental sustainability.

Energy policy for low carbon development in Nigeria: A LEAP model application

Abstract: This paper applied a scenario-based analysis to explore Nigeria's future energy demand, supply and associated GHG emissions from 2010 to 2040 using the Long-range Energy Alternative Planning (LEAP) model. The impact of different energy policies are analysed for the Nigerian energy system by considering four scenarios: the reference scenario (REF), the low-carbon moderate scenario (LCM), the low-carbon advanced scenario (LCA), and the green optimistic scenario (GO). By considering aggressive energy policies and strategies from LCM to LCA, and even more aggressive options in the GO scenario, we find that under the REF scenario energy demand is expected to reach 3,075 PJ and a corresponding increase in GHG emissions of 201.2 Mt Co2e by 2040. More aggressive policy intervention by the Nigerian government, as in the GO scenario, would lead to a decrease in energy demand (2,249 PJ) and GHG emissions (124.4 Mt Co2e) in 2040. A cost-benefit and energy system analysis were also carried out in the study.

A global call from five countries to collaborate in antibiotic stewardship: united we succeed, divided we might fail

Abstract: Summary In February, 2016, WHO released a report for the development of national action plans to address the threat of antibiotic resistance, the catastrophic consequences of inaction, and the need for antibiotic stewardship. Antibiotic stewardship combined with infection prevention comprises a collaborative, multidisciplinary approach to optimise use of antibiotics. Efforts to mitigate overuse will be unsustainable without learning and coordinating activities globally. In this Personal View, we provide examples of international collaborations to address optimal prescribing, focusing on five countries that have developed different approaches to antibiotic stewardship—the USA, South Africa, Colombia, Australia, and the UK. Although each country's approach differed, when nurtured, individual efforts can positively affect local and national antimicrobial stewardship programmes. Government advocacy, national guidelines, collaborative research, online training programmes, mentoring programmes, and social media in stewardship all played a role. Personal relationships and willingness to learn from each other's successes and failures continues to foster collaboration. We recommend that antibiotic stewardship models need to evolve from infection specialist-based teams to develop and use cadres of health-care professionals, including pharmacists, nurses, and community health workers, to meet the needs of the global population. We also recommend that all health-care providers who prescribe antibiotics take ownership and understand the societal burden of suboptimal antibiotic use, providing examples of how countries can learn, act globally, and share best antibiotic stewardship practices.

The role of energy technology innovation in reducing greenhouse gas emissions: A case study of Canada

Abstract: Understanding the influence of energy technology innovation in reducing a country's greenhouse gas emissions requires a systematic review to characterize the existing system. A comprehensive data review of available financing mechanisms and investments by government and industry is undertaken for the case of Canada, coupled with an organized examination of existing international, federal, and regional climate policies that advance innovation. Results indicate that investments from early research and development through to capital expenditures are heavily weighted towards fossil fuels. Though federal efforts to meet international commitments have been unsuccessful, regions implementing high carbon fuel phase-out, renewable portfolio standards, and feed-in-tariffs were found to be successful in reducing emissions. Financing for clean energy projects is readily available; however, there is no complete database available for investors to discover these opportunities. To enhance clean energy innovation in Canada and enable success in emissions reductions, we suggest that investments (from research and development to capital expenditures) and regional policies should be aligned with federal commitments, along with clear communication of available financing to attract clean energy investors. Our approach to a systematic review is broadly applicable to other regions where there is interest in understanding and improving the role of innovation in reducing greenhouse gas emissions, particularly in countries with federalist political systems and large fossil fuel reserves.

“They Are All Organizations”: The Cultural Roots of Blurring Between the Nonprofit, Business, and Government Sectors:

Abstract: An important transformation is reshaping once-distinct social structures, such as charitable and religious groups, family firms, and government agencies, into more analogous units called organizati

China's health care system reform: Progress and prospects

Abstract: Summary This paper discusses the progress and prospects of China's complex health care reform beginning in 2009. The Chinese government's undertaking of systemic reform has achieved laudable achievements, including the expansion of social health insurance, the reform of public hospitals, and the strengthening of primary care. An innovative policy tool in China, policy experimentation under hierarchy, played an important role in facilitating these achievements. However, China still faces gaps and challenges in creating a single payer system, restructuring the public hospitals, and establishing an integrated delivery system. Recently, China issued the 13th 5-year plan for medical reform, setting forth the goals, policy priorities, and strategies for health reform in the following 5 years. Moreover, the Chinese government announced the “Healthy China 2030” blueprint in October 2016, which has the goals of providing universal health security for all citizens by 2030. By examining these policy priorities against the existing gaps and challenges, we conclude that China's health care reform is heading in the right direction. To effectively implement these policies, we recommend that China should take advantage of policy experimentation to mobilize bottom-up initiatives and encourage innovations.

Energy price shocks and macroeconomic performance

Abstract: The oil price shocks of the 1970’s led to severe recessions in the 1980’s in the United States. Originally published in 1989 in the aftermath, Bohi attempts to show both how energy prices can cause a decline in output and employment and to explore important other factors which led to the recessions using the US, United Kingdom, Japan and Germany as examples. The findings in Energy Price Shocks and Macroeconomic Performance have major implications for energy policy and questions government plans which focus solely on preventing another oil supply disruption. This title will be of interest to students of environmental studies and economics as well as professionals.