This article presents an overview of the origins, development, rapid diffusion, and current usage of the concept of social capital in both the academic (research-oriented) and more applied (social policy) literature. Following a short quantitative survey of the appearance of the term in both theses and journals, various meanings of social capital are examined in the light of classical and contemporary sociological theory. Three main research approaches, which are based on the operationalization of social capital or its application as a heuristic device, are critically examined. These approaches are associated with the work ofJames Coleman, Pierre Bourdieu, and Robert Putnam, but there are also some references to the work of economists. The authors contend that, while social capital has value and appeal as a new term, basic theory needs greater development. In particular, attention should be paid to acknowledging the specific perspective on social capital that underlies its usage, the scale or level of analysis employed, and the value of a qualitative use of social capital.
The government of Indonesia is revising the 1999 regional government framework, in part, to better address the obligatory functions of the regional government. These refer to the minimum levels of service that regional governments must deliver. Regional actors have been demanding clear 'rules of the game' on this issue in aid of accountability. Since 2000, the Ministry of Home Affairs, in concert with the key sectoral ministries, has tried to develop and test a suitable model. The findings of these efforts underscore that affordability of minimum service standards is a key concern, followed by capacity issues: recently the government has signalled its intent to forge ahead with a prescriptive approach by embedding the concept more firmly in the new law on regional government (Law 32/2004). It must still clarify the concept and provide concrete guidance to sectoral agencies to establish minimum service standards that will be affordable, feasible and enforceable. This article assesses the feasibility of the evolving Indonesian model. It concludes that a prescriptive approach is attractive, but its prospects are doubtful in the current Indonesian governance context. A cautious and phased approach is recommended.
Attaining the benefits of (especially fiscal) decentralization in government remains an enduring challenge, in part because the re-arrangement of public functions across levels of government has often been carried out poorly.This book aims to provide a firmer conceptual basis for the re-arrangement of public functions across levels of government. In doing so, it offers practical advice for policy-makers from developing and emerging countries and development cooperation practitioners engaged in such activity. Combining a theoretical approach for intergovernmental functional assignment with an in-depth analysis of real-life country cases where functional assignment (FA) has been supported in the context of international development cooperation, it underscores the common technical and political challenges of FA, and also demonstrates the need to expect and support country made and context-specific solutions to FA processes and results. Examples are drawn from a number of developing/transition countries from the Asia-Pacific region, Africa and the OECD, which outline and suggest advisory approaches, tools, principles and good practices and approaches.This text will be of key interest to scholars, students, policy-makers and practitioners in public policy, decentralization, local governance studies, public administration and development administration/studies. Contentsx Contents 2.6 Functional assignment in OECD and non-OECD countries 62 2.7 International cooperation and functional assignment 63 3 The conceptual and legal architecture of SNG functions 3.1 Broad theoretical currents shaping the distribution of functions in government 72 3.2 The legal framework for governmental functions -the SNG law and other instruments 74 3.3 Two main archetypes in the architecture of SNG functions 85 3.4 Typology of governmental functions 89
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