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Abstract: China has made significant progress in developing its central bank digital currency (CBDC), the ‘digital renminbi’ (e-CNY), racing out to the world lead. This article examines China’s motivations and goals in developing the e-CNY and how the central bank, the People’s Bank of China (PBOC), and its corporate partners have gone about successfully developing the e-CNY and its associated payments technology and e-infrastructure to pay for consumer, retail and service transactions, the wages of civil servants and bank staff, utilities bills, and company to company exchanges. Particular attention is given to why and how, amid the roll-out of the e-CNY pilot programs, the PBOC has directed the design and development of its CBDC toward supporting the financial inclusion of financially marginalized and vulnerable segments of Chinese society, specifically elderly citizens and inhabitants in remote rural areas, and the ‘unbanked’ in rural and urban areas. PubDate: 2025-04-17
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Abstract: The role of Appropriate Technology (AT) in empowering small farmers in developing countries has been widely debated, yet its effective implementation remains a challenge. This study examines how government-supported AT initiatives contribute to poverty alleviation by analyzing case studies from Southern China and the Morogoro Province of Tanzania. By introducing a paradigm of sustainable development and innovation, the study highlights the interplay between economic viability, environmental sustainability, and social acceptability in AT adoption. The findings highlight that government support at multiple levels—policy, pilot projects, and technical extension services—is crucial for successful AT implementation. Overcoming initial skepticism among farmers through demonstrations, trust-building, and tailored technology adaptations is essential for AT’s success. The study contributes to the literature by refining the understanding of AT’s role in poverty alleviation and offering policy recommendations to enhance its effectiveness across different developmental stages. PubDate: 2025-03-18
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Abstract: While countries worldwide have committed to their respective carbon reduction targets, and all levels of government are engaged in efforts to mitigate and adapt to climate change, the roles of multiple stakeholders in promoting low-carbon development and their interactive relationships vary significantly across nations. These differences result in varying progress and effectiveness in low-carbon development. In this context, this paper employs the concept of Multi-Level Governance (MLG) as an analytical framework to examine low-carbon city development in Shenzhen, China and the City of Darebin, Australia. Specifically, it compares the roles of multi-level governments and their interactions in low-carbon development in these two cities. The paper finds that Shenzhen’s low carbon development is driven by the joint efforts of the central and local governments, along with coordination and partnerships with non-government stakeholders at the community level, reflecting a flexible vertical dimension of MLG. In contrast, the City of Darebin empowers the local council and residents to collectively envision and decide on low-carbon policies, highlighting the key features of the horizontal dimension of MLG. PubDate: 2024-12-24
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Abstract: Ideally policies are characterised by alignment between goals and instruments, coherence of the former and consistency of the latter. However, in practice policy mixes are merely patched up to solve problems, influencing how policy evolves over time, typically generating increased policy complexity. It remains unclear how policy goal coherence, instrumental consistency, and goal-instrument alignment influence the long-term evolution of low-carbon policies. To address this, this study analyzes the characteristics of low-carbon policy evolution in Shenzhen City (1994–2022) and employ a quantitative longitudinal research design to examine these influences. Overall, policy evolution was characterized by gradual increase in policies with peaks in 2012 and 2021, leading to policy accumulation with increasing policy subdomains. This was in part due to Shenzhen City serving as a national low carbon pilot zone and local government responding to national government programs. Policy evolution entailed a large variety of policy goals and instruments, with policy goals evolving rather flexibly with new goals replacing old ones, while policy instruments developed more incrementally leading to replacement, conversion but also to cases of policy layering. We identified the key factors driving evolution of low-carbon policies, including the city's strategic positioning, the focus of (local) leadership, and the city’s response to national policies. Moreover, a fairly balanced distribution in policy dynamics was observed; this concerned a good fit (replacement) and a poor fit (conversion and layering) between new policies and existing policy mixes. Additionally, policy dynamics varied across and within subdomains. PubDate: 2024-12-20
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Abstract: Developing an appropriate governance model for smart city is complicated as it involves a variety of social and technical components. This article addresses the question of how a network model can provide a comprehensive understanding of the dynamic interactions among smart city components and their evolution over time by proposing a network-based approach to analyze smart city development. Starting with an Input–Output model, 14 key components of smart cities are identified. The model is then extended using a social network framework, revealing 91 potential interconnections among these components. A bibliometric analysis (1998–2023) of 214,211 articles measures the components' significance and tracks shifts over time. A qualitative review of the 25 most relevant articles further explores the interplay of three main components. Findings highlight the dynamic and multidimensional nature of smart city development, emphasizing the central role of ‘data assets’ and the evolving interconnections within the network. The findings are useful to researchers and practitioners by drawing attention to changes in the smart city concept over time and the connections between the various components involved in the process of smart city development. They also offer a new modeling tool to analyze the relative importance of nodes and edges in the scientific literature. PubDate: 2024-12-13
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Abstract: This article focuses on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the sales tax collections in Georgia counties across various levels of administrative governance capacity. We hypothesize that higher levels of governance leadership, policy regulation, and delivery capacity, as measured by a full-time economic developer, a planning commission and local government personnel, respectively, buffer against sale tax collection losses due to the pandemic. Our findings suggest sales tax collections for the top 33% of counties, in terms of retail earnings per capita, tourism earnings per capita, and e-commerce activity, while demonstrating some heterogeneities are not systematically impacted by prior governance capacity. Therefore, our results imply that governance capacity to administer the sales tax might not interfere in sales tax collections during a turbulent time, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, given that collections are streamlined and centralized at the state level, compared to other local governments globally. PubDate: 2024-12-01
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Abstract: The COVID-19 pandemic generated challenges to fiscal governance at national, regional, local, and sub-local levels, as the economies at all these levels were impacted severely by the lockdowns and interruptions in economic transactions. We investigated the impacts of the pandemic on the sub-local areas known as business improvement districts (BIDs) in most states in the US and business improvement areas (BIAs) in some provinces of Canada, particularly on the annual total revenues of the management organizations of BIDs and BIAs and the percentages of their total revenues from property assessment. The results of our interrupted time-series analyses of the total revenues and percentages of them from assessments show that the COVID-19 pandemic did affect the finances of all the BIDs and BIAs in our analyses, but in different ways and in different time frames. Although there are no clear patterns in the results, they point to potential areas of research in the future. PubDate: 2024-12-01
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Abstract: The COVID-19 pandemic created unprecedented pressure on public budgets worldwide, as surging demand for public spending coincided with declining revenues. This study uses panel data from U.S. state governments to analyze the factors driving their fiscal responses and compares strategies employed during the COVID-19 pandemic to those used in the Great Recession. Findings reveal that during the pandemic, states used fewer strategies, were less likely to implement across-the-board cuts, and avoided workforce-related measures. Projected budget gaps influenced the number of strategies adopted and the likelihood of expenditure cuts, but not the choice of specific measures. Federal aid showed limited association with the number or type of strategies employed, suggesting the need for more timely and flexible assistance. Political ideology similarly was not systematically related to the type or number of balancing strategies employed. PubDate: 2024-12-01
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Abstract: We analyze the moderating effect of political contexts on the management-performance relationship. Dissimilar party systems generate different patterns of political competition, such as adversarialism versus power-sharing. We argue adversarialism strengthens the effect of chief executives’ experience on government performance by offering more incentives for competition and accountability, compared to power-sharing systems. Although Colombian and Mexican subnational governments share several institutional similarities, Mexico exhibits more adversarial competition, compared to Colombia’s power-sharing tradition. Therefore, governors’ background experience should be more strongly associated with gubernatorial performance in Mexico than in Colombia. We built panel data sets for the 32 Mexican states and the 32 Colombian departamentos by collecting governors’ biographical information, regional characteristics, and performance indicators for education (high school enrollment) and health (infant mortality rate). Findings indicate governors’ experience enhances performance in Mexican states, but not in Colombian departamentos. These suggest political competition patterns condition the role of executive experience on performance. PubDate: 2024-12-01
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Please help us test our new pre-print finding feature by giving the pre-print link a rating. A 5 star rating indicates the linked pre-print has the exact same content as the published article.
Please help us test our new pre-print finding feature by giving the pre-print link a rating. A 5 star rating indicates the linked pre-print has the exact same content as the published article.
Please help us test our new pre-print finding feature by giving the pre-print link a rating. A 5 star rating indicates the linked pre-print has the exact same content as the published article.
Abstract: As the theory of value co-creation argues, the existence and necessity of public service, along with ensuing satisfaction, trust and confidence in the service, are determined by those who receive it and participate in its production. Their perceptions and evaluations shape the current and future development of the service. Following this theory, the study illuminates the importance of value co-creation as not only a theoretical concept but also a practical approach, along with the viability of its application in public governance. It draws on corruption prevention in Hong Kong as a case study to reveal how integrity-related public values can be propagated in society as a consequence of anti-corruption efforts. It finds that anti-corruption success hinges on three important value-based factors at the societal level: social support for fighting corruption, trust and confidence in government, and zero public tolerance of corruption. The findings of this study underscore that corruption prevention transcends the mere exposure of corruption cases and the prosecution of corrupt individuals. Its fundamental goal is to induce profound changes in social values, while these changes can only take place through joint efforts between the government and its citizens. PubDate: 2024-09-19
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Abstract: This study examines the influence of AI-based anti-corruption audits on public procurement decision-making, specifically focusing on contract volume fluctuations within the Brazilian federal government. We leverage panel data regression models, utilizing alerts generated by the ALICE platform (Analyzer of Bids, Contracts, and Notices, developed by the Office of the Comptroller General of Brazil) from January 2019 to January 2024. Our findings strongly support that ALICE’s AI algorithms can mitigate risk aversion and significantly impact acquisition decisions. Disregarding control variables, alerts are associated with an increase in total procurement by nearly 20% over the period analyzed. While these results suggest a causal relationship between ALICE and changes in decision-making behavior, further research employing qualitative methods, such as in-depth interviews with procurement officials, is necessary to elucidate the underlying mechanisms fully. This study underscores the importance of continued exploration into the complex interplay between AI tools and public sector decision-making. Such investigations are crucial to inform the development and implementation of AI-driven solutions that foster transparency, ethical conduct, efficiency, and accountability in public procurement processes. PubDate: 2024-09-01
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Abstract: Penalties for corrupt acts are a vital component of integrity management systems within bureaucratic organizations, yet systematic inquiry into specific interventions is lacking. Drawing from the principal–supervisor–agent model, this article explores the criteria for imposing penalties on corrupt bureaucrats at the street level. We examine the impact of various factors on the severity of penalties for corruption, highlighting the influence of top-down anticorruption reform and local enforcement capacity. Utilizing text mining techniques, we build a comprehensive dataset containing 4025 cases of punishing corruption among grassroots officials in China from 2015 to 2023 and use multilevel analysis to explore these dynamics. Findings suggest that anticorruption reform directly led to an increase in the severity of penalties, but with substantial variation across practices. In particular, the analysis reveals a positive correlation between enforcement capacity and the severity of penalties. Moreover, while the relationship between harm and penalty severity represents a generalizable observation, significant disparities exist in the penalties imposed across various types of corruption. This study contributes to understanding the dynamics of multiple punitive measures and the factors leading to penalties imposed on corrupt street-level bureaucrats. PubDate: 2024-09-01
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Abstract: This paper examines factors that contributed to the effectiveness of the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) of Hong Kong, China as a blueprint for building an effective anti-corruption agency. It describes how Hong Kong transitioned from widespread corruption 50 years ago to now having a comparatively low corruption level. Key enablers of the ICAC’s success identified include unwavering political commitment, a robust rule of law system, institutionalization at constitutional, societal, strategic and organizational levels, and robust accountability checks. The ICAC utilizes an integrated three-pronged strategy of law enforcement, prevention, and education. Over time, this holistic approach helped cultivate a clean governance culture through a self-reinforcing “virtuous cycle.” Hong Kong demonstrates that a long-term, comprehensive strategy addressing both symptoms and root causes of corruption is needed within an enabling context of strong political will, rule of law, accountability system and public support. PubDate: 2024-07-05
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Abstract: Corruption remains a significant challenge to the stability, development, and well-being of jurisdictions worldwide. To address this issue, the United Nations Convention against Corruption, the sole legally binding universal anti-corruption instrument, promotes cooperation among its signatories to combat this transnational crime. Over the past two decades, experience-sharing and capacity-building have emerged as effective approaches in international anti-corruption efforts, allowing jurisdictions to learn from each other’s successes and enhance their capabilities. The Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China, stands out as a model for fostering international cooperation. Leveraging its successful 50-year experience in curbing corruption, the ICAC contributes to advancing global anti-corruption collaboration by adhering to the principles of “inclusive dialogue”, “collective efforts”, and “shared benefits”. In establishing capacity-building cooperation with partner agencies, the ICAC adopts the principle of “inclusive dialogue”, engaging in in-depth discussions to tailor training programs that address specific capacity gaps while considering unique cultural, political, and legal characteristics. Under the principle of collective efforts, the ICAC actively engages in international anti-corruption affairs and currently holds the presidency of the International Association of Anti-Corruption Authorities. This commitment demonstrates their dedication to promoting the effective implementation of the Convention and strengthening global anti-corruption efforts. By embracing the principle of shared benefits, the ICAC has established the Hong Kong International Academy Against Corruption, serving as a strategic, institutionalized platform for delivering professional training programs to graft fighters from diverse regions. These efforts contribute to a more transparent, accountable, and corruption-free world. PubDate: 2024-07-03
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Abstract: The U.S. House of Representatives made a significant move by passing legislation on the TikTok ban ‘twice’ in less than 40 days. The passed legislation requires that ByteDance—its China-based parent company—divest from TikTok within 270 days. Despite overwhelming bipartisan support, this research aims to provide evidence that there is significant variation in legislator voting behavior attributable to partisanship, ideology, and demographic factors. This study employs logistic regression to analyze the voting decisions of 417 legislators in the first vote and 418 in the second. The results showed that partisanship had a strong effect on the first vote, with Republicans in red states more likely to support the ban. However, the second vote saw a decline in party influence, with white legislators from both parties emerging as key proponents of the ban. Across both votes, the strongest predictor was ideology, with ideological extremists on either the conservative or liberal side more likely to vote against the ban. Younger but longer-tenured legislators as well as non-lawyers also showed a higher likelihood of opposing the ban. This study contributes to the discourse on congressional voting in the context of evolving geopolitical and technological landscapes between the U.S. and China. PubDate: 2024-06-01
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