Seyed Hadi Zarghani; Ebrahim Ahmadi
Abstract
The term good governance is used today on a wide scale from a local to an international level. In the meantime, governance in the form of local government seems to be more commensurate with good governance. This research seeks to answer the questions of what is the relationship between local government ...
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The term good governance is used today on a wide scale from a local to an international level. In the meantime, governance in the form of local government seems to be more commensurate with good governance. This research seeks to answer the questions of what is the relationship between local government and good governance and what are the unique characteristics and traits of a local government that can be considered a good government? In addition, what is the best method for delegating powers and responsibilities to citizens in order to make local government efficient in terms of good governance? The research is descriptive-analytical based on its nature and methodology and the required information is gathered in a documentary manner with reference to reliable books and articles. The research findings show that with respect to specific and prominent features of local government such as decentralization, democratic structure, local and people-centered planning and decision-making, attention to the interests of the general public, the distribution of opportunities and the establishment of social and geographical justice, more community benefits from development and welfare, local government can be regarded as the ideal example for good governance. Also among the many features that local government has, the principle of optimal decentralization (political, economic, administrative, technical, geographical, etc.), as the real symbol and ultimate goal of local government, is undoubtedly the best and most practical way of good administrative governance. In this way, by delegating some of the responsibilities to the citizens, their involvement in regional and national affairs becomes more real and then the mutual interaction between the local government and the central government becomes facilitated. It will also have decentralization of power (central government) as a principle. In short, because of the specific nature and functions of local government, it can be used to establish a good governance model.
Zahir Alimoradi
Abstract
The decentralized organization pattern of the Islamic Republic of Iran provinces, along with a variety of public services and climatic, ethnic, cultural and religious differences, have made the country encounter a number of problems. It is evident to everyone that decentralization is one of the most ...
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The decentralized organization pattern of the Islamic Republic of Iran provinces, along with a variety of public services and climatic, ethnic, cultural and religious differences, have made the country encounter a number of problems. It is evident to everyone that decentralization is one of the most effective actions for the development of countries; however, the implementation of decentralization policies has not been successful in Iran’s provinces. In this research, the realization of local self-government is regarded as an aim for decentralization at the provincial level in order to scientifically identify the consequences of decentralization in the provinces. International status, geopolitical situation, unbalanced development and ethnic and religious variety have made Iran a special case of decentralization; hence, this study was carried out using a hybrid method. After studying the research background, 16 interviews with semi-structured elites were carried out. By analyzing the results of the interviews through content analysis method, seven outcomes of the Provincial Self-Governance include: "General Prosperity", "Income Sustainability", "Partnership", "Economic Agility", "Rule of Law", "Efficiency in Servicing", and "Separatism" was extracted from 20 categories, 112 concepts and 353 primary codes. Then, the model test by modeling the structural equations showed that the local self-government of the provinces has positive consequences in the social and economic spheres, as well as weakening separatism, terrorist activities, foreign interference and strengthening the Iranian-Islamic identity.
Kiyomars Ashtarian; Hasan Karimifard
Abstract
City councils are assumed to be one of the most important institutions for decentralization and realization of balanced development based on spatial-geographical features in Iran. In the Islamic Republic of Iran, city councils were formed in 1999 and have a relatively short history. On the basis of the ...
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City councils are assumed to be one of the most important institutions for decentralization and realization of balanced development based on spatial-geographical features in Iran. In the Islamic Republic of Iran, city councils were formed in 1999 and have a relatively short history. On the basis of the evaluation of the city councils’ life within four periods we can point to their not very favorable performance considering the goals set out in the related laws and documents. The present essay is trying to examine and analyze the reasons for their lack of success in different aspects. Our statistical population consisted of members of the city councils across the country, members of the parliament and experts in areas related to the city councils. Single sample t-test was used to investigate the function of the councils. To express the relationship between two variables and also prove significant or not significant relationship between them and the impact of each independent variable on the dependent variable, a bivariate linear regression analysis was used. The results indicate that the centralization, the rentier system and ambiguous legal status have led to unsatisfactory performance of the councils in Iran.
Hoda Ghafari; Fatemeh Afshari
Abstract
Purpose: Administrative decentralization seeks to redistribute authority, responsibility and financial resources to provide public services among different levels of the government. It is the transfer of responsibility for the planning, financing and management of certain public functions from the central ...
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Purpose: Administrative decentralization seeks to redistribute authority, responsibility and financial resources to provide public services among different levels of the government. It is the transfer of responsibility for the planning, financing and management of certain public functions from the central government and its agencies to field units of government agencies, subordinate units or levels of government, semi-autonomous public authorities or corporations, or area-wide, regional or functional authorities. When governments devolve functions, they transfer authority for decision-making, finances, and management to quasi-autonomous units of local government with corporate status. According to Article 3 of the Constitution of Malaysia, Islam is the country's official religion; therefore, studying the legal system of this country, which has a Muslim background, is essentially important to our country. In addition, given the importance of decentralization in Iran, it is of considerable importance to study the challenges of the decentralization system, even when they are formed in a federal system. The Malaysian legal system, modeled based on the English law, has, after independence of the former country, chosen federalism, and, consequently, the political decentralization system for their government. However, the important issue refers to whether the system of political decentralization has been achieved completely and properly in this country and what are its damages? Decentralization can be a way of improving access to services, tailoring government actions to private needs, and increasing the opportunities for state-society interactions. Design/Methodology/Approach: This paper is formed and based on the critical paradigm with the descriptive method, and has been conducted in two sections. The first section of the study investigated the levels of government, and, in the second part, the relationship between federal, state and local governments will be discussed. Findings: Malaysia is one of the three Asian countries and the only southeastern Asian country which has chosen a federal government. The important matter is whether the mentioned federal system results in decentralization? The Malaysian government includes three layers: the federal government, the government of provinces and local government. The provincial and local governments, as the symbol of decentralization in such countries, are determined in Malaysia’s Constitution with their duties, discretions and limitations. Actually, however, the federal government interferes in provincial activities. 91 percent of financial resources are controlled by the federal government. The independent activities of local governments are hindered by factors such as limited responsibilities, federal and provincial governments’ interference in local government affairs, the role of the national association and housing ministry parallel to the local government regarding law and policy-making, existence of unique obligatory policies for all local governments, limited financial resources, and the appointment of local authorities by the federal government. Consequently, the above explanations imply that federalism, as a governmental system, will not necessarily result in decentralization. Originality/Value: Given the large number of studies on the issue of decentralization in the Iranian legal system, this paper, with the aim of observing the originality principle, intends to conduct a comparative study on the legal systems of Malaysia and the United Kingdom.
