Publications
Ilan Alon, Julian Chang, Marc Fetscherin, Christoph Latteman, and John R. McIntyre, editors, Palgrave Macmillan, 2009
The development of the Chinese multinational is a new feature of globalization. This book deals in the first section with the political economy and governance of China. The contemporary discourse of the internationalization of Chinese enterprises is discussed from different theoretical perspectives and shows how it will reshape global competition, and how the new corporate governance structures impact the long-term performance of state-owned enterprises in China. The second section assesses international trade and foreign direct investment (FDI) by Chinese firms and their impact on developed countries. The effects of China's policy and regulatory change on outward FDI are outlined and a Sino-EU Intra-Industry Trade and FDI analysis explores the nature of the challenge facing the EU. Section three describes the developments in certain Chinese industries, such as telecommunications, electronics and automotives, and explains companies and government strategies to gain access to global natural resources.
Alexander Keyssar, Basic Books, 2009
Most Americans take for granted their right to vote, whether they choose to exercise it or not. But the history of suffrage in the U.S. is, in fact, the story of a struggle to achieve this right by our society's marginalized groups. In The Right to Vote, HKS historian Alexander Keyssar explores the evolution of suffrage over the course of the nation's history. Examining the many features of the history of the right to vote in the U.S.—class, ethnicity, race, gender, religion, and age—the book explores the conditions under which American democracy has expanded and contracted over the years. Keyssar presents convincing evidence that the history of the right to vote has not been one of a steady history of expansion and increasing inclusion, noting that voting rights contracted substantially in the U.S. between 1850 and 1920. Keyssar also presents a controversial thesis: that the primary factor promoting the expansion of the suffrage has been war and the primary factors promoting contraction or delaying expansion have been class tension and class conflict. The June 2009 edition includes a new chapter on voting rights since 2000.
Innovations in Government Program, March 2008
This report offers findings and subsequent analysis of the winners of the Innovations in American Government (IAG) Awards honored between 1986 and 2007. The findings were released at the Institute’s “Frontiers of Innovation: Celebrating 20 Years of Innovation in Government” conference held March 31 through April 2, 2008.
Nguyen Xuan Thanh, Vu Thanh Tu Anh, David Dapice, Jonathan Pincus, Ben Wilkinson, September 2008
This paper responds to a request from the Vietnamese government for an analysis of the short- and long-term challenges confronting the Vietnamese economy. The paper argues that restoring macroeconomic stability and positioning the economy for long term growth will require fundamental, structural reform. The paper begins by comparing Vietnam’s performance over the past 20 years to other countries in the region. This comparison reveals a set of worrisome trends which, taken together, raise questions about the sustainability of Vietnam’s growth path. Part II examines the current macroeconomic environment and assesses the government’s response to date. The paper concludes that, while government policy has succeeded in reducing macroeconomic turbulence in the short run, nothing has been done to address the structural weaknesses of the Vietnamese economy.
Vietnam Program, May 2008
The Vietnamese economy is facing its most serious challenges since the mid-1980s. Over the past several months the government has stated its determination to curb inflation and restore macroeconomic stability. These are indeed critical priorities, but the government’s actions to date to achieve this end have been largely ineffectual. This Vietnam Policy Discussion Paper argues that a restoration of the situation prior to the onset of the current instability is neither possible nor desirable. This is because the current situation is due largely to structural weaknesses in the Vietnamese economy; the international conditions that have been offered as explanations are, at best, secondary factors.
Erik Gerritsen, March 2008
The research project Improving Access (www.ImprovingAccess.Org) was developed by an international group of researchers interested in innovations in democratic governance. It explores the ways in which democratic institutions fail or succeed to create genuinely equal opportunities. This partnership between the Ash Institute at Harvard's Kennedy School of Government and the Centre for Government Studies at Leiden University in the Netherlands has resulted in the production and organization of research, conferences, publications, and teaching materials.
This document is an interview with Erik Gerritsen, Knowledge Ambassador for the city of Amsterdam, regarding the innovative program, One Stop Shop for Hotel Restaurant Café Licenses (abbreviated HoReCa1).
Despite the economic value of the hotel and restaurant sector in Amsterdam, the regulations for acquiring a bar, hotel, or restaurant license in the city were extremely complicated. Especially for nascent immigrant entrepreneurs, the investments of time, money, and energy were prohibitive. HoReCa1, a novel, cross-agency, and web-enabled initiative, dramatically reduced the complexity and costs of licensing-for the entrepreneurs and the government.
Jorrit de Jong, Elba C.S. de Andrade, March 2008
The research project Improving Access (www.ImprovingAccess.Org) was developed by an international group of researchers interested in innovations in democratic governance. It explores the ways in which democratic institutions fail or succeed to create genuinely equal opportunities. This partnership between the Ash Institute at Harvard's Kennedy School of Government and the Centre for Government Studies at Leiden University in the Netherlands has resulted in the production and organization of research, conferences, publications, and teaching materials.
This document is an interview with Elba C.S. de Andrade, Quality Management Director of the Superintendency for Citizen Assistance, State Secretariat of Administration for the state of Bahia, Brazil, about the innovative Mobile Citizen Service Assistance centers in Brazil.
If bureaucracy impedes service delivery to citizens, it doubly affects citizens in remote areas, who live great distances from administrative centers. In the state of Bahia, Brazil, the government created mobile centers that bring services directly to those citizens. In the process, procedures were simplified and services were coordinated among different agencies.
Jorrit de Jong, Harsh Mander, March 2008
The research project Improving Access (www.ImprovingAccess.Org) was developed by an international group of researchers interested in innovations in democratic governance. It explores the ways in which democratic institutions fail or succeed to create genuinely equal opportunities. This partnership between the Ash Institute at Harvard's Kennedy School of Government and the Centre for Government Studies at Leiden University in the Netherlands has resulted in the production and organization of research, conferences, publications, and teaching materials.
This document is an interview with Harsh Mander, the Convenor of Aman Biradari, a people's campaign for secularism, peace and justice, regarding the innovative program, Nyayagrah.
In the aftermath of the 2002 Gujarat riots, more than half of the complaints filed by victims were closed without trial. The Nyayagrah initiative brought together working-class Muslim and Hindu volunteers to provide moral support and legal assistance to the victims. Along with a petition to the Supreme Court, the project led to real access to justice for the survivors of the riots.
Nguyen Xuan Thanh, Vu Thanh Tu Anh, David Dapice, Jonathan Pincus, and Ben Wilkinson, February 2008
This paper argues that a series of resolute and coordinated policy interventions is needed to restore macroeconomic stability, cushion the impact of the global economic downturn, and keep Vietnam on the path of sustainable growth. Specifically, the Vietnamese government must quell price inflation, reduce fiscal and trade deficits and slow down money and credit growth through a consistent and synchronized set of policy interventions. Gradual deflation of the real estate price bubble is needed in order to avoid a sudden collapse in prices, which would, if it occurred, destabilize the financial sector with potentially serious contagion effects for the real economy. Successful implementation of these policy prescriptions in the near term, and maintaining a stable economic environment over the medium to long term, will require greater policy coordination than the Vietnamese government has demonstrated in recent years.
Steven M. Goldstein and Julian Chang, editors, EastBridge Books, 2008
Presidential Politics in Taiwan discusses some of the main themes which emerged following Chen Shui-bian’s election and seeks to elucidate the major challenges that the administration faced, as well as the policies that Chen established. This serves as a foundation for the individual chapters assessing the direction that the Chen Shui-bian administration has taken in regard to the major issue areas of domestic political dynamics; socio-political “hot buttons”; and foreign policy/national security. Each chapter addresses the question of how the Chen administration’s first term defined, debated, and impacted specific aspects of the evolving Taiwanese polity.
Sandford F. Borins, editor, Brookings Institution Press, 2008
What is the future of government innovation? How can innovation enhance the quality of life for citizens and strengthen democratic governance? Innovations in Government: Research, Recognition, and Replication answers these questions by presenting a comprehensive approach to advancing the practice and study of innovation in government. The authors discuss new research on innovation, explore the impact of several programs that recognize innovation, and consider challenges to the replication of innovations.
Anthony Saich, Palgrave Macmillan Publishers Limited, 2008
China's leaders faced a major challenge to provide citizens with acceptable social welfare during the economic transition. They are confronted with building a new support system in the countryside, shifting the burden in urban China from the factory to the local state, and integrating new social groups into existing systems. Providing Public Goods comprises a detailed study of healthcare, disease control, social insurance, and social relief.
Sandford F. Borins, editor, Brookings Institution Press, 2008
What is the future of government innovation? How can innovation enhance the quality of life for citizens and strengthen democratic governance? Innovations in Government: Research, Recognition, and Replication answers these questions by presenting a comprehensive approach to advancing the practice and study of innovation in government. The authors discuss new research on innovation, explore the impact of several programs that recognize innovation, and consider challenges to the replication of innovations.
Ilan Alon and John R. McIntyre, editors, Palgrave Macmillan Publishers Limited, 2008
The 21st century has been dubbed the Chinese century. As China becomes a dominant world economic actor, its enterprises—state-run or otherwise—increasingly look to distant shores in the Western hemisphere and the European continent for inspiration. Edited by John R. McIntyre and former Rajawali Fellow Ilan Alon, this collection of papers brings together a diverse community of interdisciplinary Chinese research scholars to assess the impact of Chinese business on global business and environments, disseminate knowledge on the emergence of globalizing Chinese firms, and address the issues related to corporate sustainable development and outsourcing.
Gonzalo Delamaza, 2008
In recent years, human rights have become a prominent issue in politics and society, creating a new idea of concept of what human rights entails, extending to include not only social rights, but economic and political rights as well. As human rights have become a central element of international policy, it is important to highlight instances where great strides in their development have occurred. This book, part of the Learning from Innovations series, presents case studies from eight countries. From China, South Africa, and Brazil, the issue of the rights of women and girls is addressed. Indigenous rights are the focus of the contributions from Chile and the Indian Nations. A case from Kenya presents youth rights and human rights and the justice system is the topic of the contributions from Mexico and Peru. The Learning from Innovations series aims to disseminate some of the lessons that are being learned by comparing innovation in the ten partner programs of the Liaison Group for Innovations in Governance and Public Action.
Yang Xuedong, 2008
Participation is an integrated part of development. By mobilizing public participation, development can win support and clarify its goal. As for social groups, especially disadvantaged groups, they influence the process of development and share its fruits through participating. How to mobilize and sustain public participation has always been an important issue for development. In addition to institutional and technological obstacles, there are social obstacles hindering public participation in development. In spite of views to the contrary, numerous cases from development have shown that the poor can participate in public affairs, in a manner that promotes public governance, if there are practicable mechanisms connecting their interests with public affairs and coordinating their opinions and actions. This book, part of the Learning from Innovations series, offers examples of designing mechanisms for participation from four Latin American countries: Brazil, Peru, Mexico, and Chile. The Learning from Innovations series aims to disseminate some of the lessons that are being learned by comparing innovation in the ten partner programs of the Liaison Group for Innovations in Governance and Public Action. The Fund for Agricultural Development (FUNDAT) was established in Tupandi, a town in Brazil. It helps local residents with agricultural development. In Coatepec, Mexico, local government initiated the "Program for Payment of Environmental Forestry Services in Coatepec" to protect forests and ensure the water supply for approximately 50,000 inhabitants in 22 municipalities. In the rural Andes area of Ranra (Junin), Peru, local people rely on the irrigation system to increase productivity. In Lampa, Chile, local government runs the local environmental management program with financial support of UNDP. Each of the four innovations presented in this book have designed practicable mechanisms to mobilize and sustain participation of concerned groups, especially local residents. The cases presented include analysis of other factors, including individual innovators, capacity training, and strong and sustainable financing.
Ceciliah Kinuthia-Njenge, 2008
The Millennium Development Goals have become a universal framework for development and a means for developing countries and their development partners to work together in pursuit of a common vision. The challenge of achieving the Millennium Development Goals in all regions of the developing countries by 2015 is a daunting one. Unfortunately, many of these countries are behind the MDG targets. Success is possible but there is a clear need for more targeted interventions and strategies for greater localization of the MDGs. There is still a dire need for sound local governance, enhanced productive capacities, effective policies, strategies and technical and financial support. There is increasing awareness that sustainable development will only be enhanced if processes at the local level are strengthened.
Fostered by the Ford Foundation in the mid-1980s, the Innovation in Local Governance Award Programme now exists in Brazil, Chile, China, the Indian Nations of the USA, Mexico, Peru, Philippines, South Africa, East Africa, and the United States. The programmes are dedicated to identifying and disseminating experiences that are making significant contribution to increasing service provision, broadening citizenship, and improving governance at local levels. In East Africa, UNHABITAT initiated the "Mashariki Innovations in Local Governance Award Programme" (MILGAP) in three of the East African countries-Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania. MILGAP recognizes innovative practices in local governance and through this award, enabling innovative ideas to reach a wider audience and help reinforce the ideals of UNHABITAT's Campaign on Urban Governance and the goal of eradicating poverty through improved urban governance.
This book, part of the Learning from Innovations series, was prepared by UNHABITAT's MILGAP programme and provides regional perspectives and different approaches to improving local governance using selected case studies from Brazil, Philippines, Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Indian Nations in the U.S. and China. The discussions are centered around local innovations enacted to realize the MDGs. These call for effective and inclusive local development practices to enhance the abilities of the local actors by equipping them with the capacities to plan, implement, and monitor activities in a participatory manner. The Learning from Innovations series aims to disseminate some of the lessons that are being learned by comparing innovation in the ten partner programs of the Liaison Group for Innovations in Governance and Public Action.