Papers by Pawel Swianiewicz
Transylvanian Review of Administrative Sciences, Feb 26, 2024
Administrative decisions can be influenced not only by policies formulated by elected representat... more Administrative decisions can be influenced not only by policies formulated by elected representatives but also by various external actors. From classic elitist and pluralist theories of community power to urban regime and network governance concepts, academic studies tell us that several institutional and individual actors with no electoral democratic legitimacy may have a significant impact on local government decision-making. In our paper, we ask the question who they are in contemporary Polish cities. Are there any systematic regularities in this respect concerning e.g. how they differ depending on the size of the local community? In this paper we look at the phenomenon through the lens of citizens' perception of the influence on important administrative decisions made in local governments. In this research, we also check whether the style of local political leadership perceived by citizens is reflected in their expectations toward the propensity of local authorities to consider the opinions. Data is collected through a survey conducted on a representative sample of 2,000 Polish citizens who were asked about their perception of the impact of various business and societal actors. The study uses the survey experiment method in which various formulations of the question are randomly assigned to individual respondents, which allows us to measure the perceived influence of individual types of actors. Referring to the recent debate on the limitation of the applicability of regime theory to large cities only, we place a special attention to the impact of city size on the role of big and small businesses as well as various societal organizations.
Municipal Territorial Reforms of the 21st Century in Europe, 2022
Municipal Territorial Reforms of the 21st Century in Europe, 2022
Municipal Territorial Reforms of the 21st Century in Europe, 2022
Municipal Territorial Reforms of the 21st Century in Europe, 2022
Municipal Territorial Reforms of the 21st Century in Europe, 2022
Local Democracy and the Processes of Transformation in East-Central Europe, 2019
Governance and Public Management, 2018
Governance and Public Management, 2018
In this final chapter, we recall the importance of local autonomy as it is promoted by many inter... more In this final chapter, we recall the importance of local autonomy as it is promoted by many international organisations and the theoretical foundations of the concept. Subsequently, we summarise findings on the different variables measured and outline the patterns of local autonomy found among the 39 countries under scrutiny, as well as to the overall index of local autonomy, its distinct dimensions and the country rankings. The chapter also recalls our attempts to explain the variation among the countries and to learn more about the consequences. The chapter is rounded off with further analysis of patterns of interactive governance and democratic space. The patterns that emerge should encourage scholars to develop further hypotheses about the effects of local autonomy and decentralisation on performance.
Governance and Public Management, 2018
A basic argument of this chapter is that an analysis of local government systems should take into... more A basic argument of this chapter is that an analysis of local government systems should take into consideration the double role of local authorities: governance for the sake of the citizens’ community and for the sake of the state. Focusing on the accountability and responsiveness of decision-makers, we argue that these are the main configuring factors for different versions of local political communities. Using dimensions of the local autonomy index (LAI), we elaborate four models of community governance. The distribution of countries has been examined for 1990, 2005 and 2014, and it was found that the strongest type of “self-determined community” included the biggest number of countries, while the weakest type of “patronized community” gradually became a rare exception. The shift away from supra-local and towards local orientation was comparatively stronger in responsiveness than in accountability, especially among ex-communist countries. Finally, a considerable mobility across ty...
Governance and Public Management, 2018
The use of general descriptive names, registered names, trademarks, service marks, etc. in this p... more The use of general descriptive names, registered names, trademarks, service marks, etc. in this publication does not imply, even in the absence of a specific statement, that such names are exempt from the relevant protective laws and regulations and therefore free for general use. The publisher, the authors and the editors are safe to assume that the advice and information in this book are believed to be true and accurate at the date of publication. Neither the publisher nor the authors or the editors give a warranty, express or implied, with respect to the material contained herein or for any errors or omissions that may have been made. The publisher remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.
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Papers by Pawel Swianiewicz