Issue 4

Contents

  • Author: The Editors
  • Year of publication: 2019
  • Source: Show
  • Pages: 527-528
  • DOI Address: -
  • PDF: ppsy/48-4/ppsy20194toc.pdf

Publikacja “Polish Political Science Yearbook” w języku angielskim, udostępnienie wersji cyfrowej w wolnym dostępie i zabezpieczenie oryginalności publikacji zgodne ze standardem COPE – zadania finansowane w ramach uowy 852/P-DUN/2018 ze środków Ministra Nauki i Szkolnictwa Wyższego przeznaczonych na działalność upowszechniającą naukę.

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Local Self-Government as a Problem of Political Theory

  • Author: Łukasz Święcicki
  • Institution: University of Natural Sciences and Humanities in Siedlce
  • ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6346-2825
  • Year of publication: 2019
  • Source: Show
  • Pages: 531-542
  • DOI Address: https://doi.org/10.15804/ppsy2019401
  • PDF: ppsy/48-4/ppsy2019401.pdf

The article aims at restoring local self-government as a research problem of political theory. In contemporary political science literature, local self-government is not treated as one of its normal, standard research problems. The main obstacle of its ambiguous position within political theory is, as I argue, the forced and imposed apolitical character of local self-government considered as a part of public administration. Despite some degree of organizational, especially institutional and legal, self-determination, the local self-government is not a political, i.e. sovereign entity. However, its non-sovereign status, which is legally established, does not exclude the existence of political potency in it.

Charles Taylor Carl Schmitt legitimacy sovereignty local government political theory

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The State and Local Self-Government. Territorial Organization of the State

  • Author: Radosław Kamiński
  • Institution: Instytut Nauk Społeczno-Humanistycznych
  • Year of publication: 2019
  • Source: Show
  • Pages: 543-558
  • DOI Address: https://doi.org/10.15804/ppsy2019402
  • PDF: ppsy/48-4/ppsy2019402.pdf

Local self-government constitutes a part of executive power in the state, with the state’s law underlying its functioning. Local government remains under the state’s supervision, representing a form of the political system within the decentralized public administration. 2018 marks 20 years of the functioning of local self-government based on a three-tier structure. The aim of the paper is an attempt at finding the answer to the question whether or not the organizational solutions adopted by the legislator and established in practice need to undergo reforms and if so, to what extent? The question thus formulated relates directly to the argument that the organization of local government system is not sound while the criteria assumed in the territorial breakdown of the local government organization do not correspond to the conditions in which those units operate, and therefore what appears necessary is for the system to be reorganized and the number of units at individual tiers to be reduced. The paper presents selected problems of the local administration in the context of a systemic organization and suggest possible (or necessary) changes which, in the author’s view, should become a subject of discussion (and in practice are such) between local selfgovernment and government administration.

administrative reform territorial break down decentralization public administration

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Local Self-Governments as New Actors in the International Stage. The Scope of the Issue

  • Author: Stanisław Faliński
  • Institution: University of Natural Sciences and Humanities in Siedlce
  • Year of publication: 2019
  • Source: Show
  • Pages: 559-569
  • DOI Address: https://doi.org/10.15804/ppsy2019403
  • PDF: ppsy/48-4/ppsy2019403.pdf

The aim of the article is to present, in a short and a synthetic form, self-governments as new actors on the international arena. Discussed are the genesis and the development of this new international activities being undertaken by local residential areas such as the “twinning movement” and the programme for establishing “sister cities”. Briefly described are the key international organizations focused on the local self-governance. Discussed is also, in a relative detail, is the cooperation of the Polish self-governance entities with local self-governance partners within the international sphere. The author concludes by attempting to define the scope and importance of the international cooperation of local self-governance entities in general and its impact on the individual participating partners.

international cooperation international stage local self-governance

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Social Policy within the Framework of Public Self-Governance - Selected Topics

  • Author: Katarzyna Wojewoda-Buraczyńska
  • Institution: University of Natural Sciences and Humanities in Siedlce
  • Year of publication: 2019
  • Source: Show
  • Pages: 572-582
  • DOI Address: https://doi.org/10.15804/ppsy2019404
  • PDF: ppsy/48-4/ppsy2019404.pdf

The article herein discusses selected issues of the effectiveness of public governance model at the Province level of self-governance in regard to providing support services to persons with disabilities. Described herein are tasks for carrying out the policy of social inclusion of persons with disabilities that are the responsibility of the Province self-governance. Also described is the method for carrying out the said tasks and the most frequently used model of public governance. Discussed also are the critical challenges and flaws of the said model of public governance. Presented also are some suggestions for changes in regard to the discussed areas. The aim of the article is to analyze province social policy toward people with disabilities. The article also attempts to evaluate the methods used to implement it. The article is based on the analysis of legal acts regarding the social inclusion policy of persons with disabilities at the level of the province, with particular emphasis on the content of province programs on equal opportunities for people with disabilities and counteracting social exclusion and assistance in the implementation of tasks for the employment of disabled people. When writing an article, the dogmatic method was used in the analytical approach. The article proposes a thesis that the collaborative governance model used to implement the social inclusion policy of disabled people at the province level does not ensure sufficient control over the efficiency of using public funds, and thus does not guarantee the effective implementation of public tasks by non-public entities.

social inclusion province local development policy province level social policy interactive management persons with disabilities

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Wrocław Civic Budget. Social Innovation Adapted in Polish Local Government

  • Author: Małgorzata Madej
  • Institution: University of Wrocław
  • ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5274-8614
  • Year of publication: 2019
  • Source: Show
  • Pages: 583-601
  • DOI Address: https://doi.org/10.15804/ppsy2019405
  • PDF: ppsy/48-4/ppsy2019405.pdf

The paper explores Wrocław Civic Budget in the context of procedures and impact. It reviews various data to present different aspects of this process: number of projects submitted and implemented, citizens’ participation in the selection process, geographical distribution of the implemented projects and their contents, showing the significant fall in the citizens’ interest in the process after two years of its implementation. The paper aims to analyze whether the project in its current form actually succeeds in activating the citizens’ and involving them in the local decision-making on one hand, and changing the city on the other. The effectiveness of participatory budgeting in Wrocław is explored, considering such criteria as reliability, impact, activation and innovativeness. The data reveal both the successes and drawbacks of Wrocław Civic Budget, allowing for presentation of recommendations.

Wrocław local participation participatory budgeting local government

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Third Place is a Charm. Women in the 2010, 2014 and 2018 Regional Assembly Elections in Poland

  • Author: Marzena Cichosz
  • Institution: University of Szczecin
  • ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0853-742X
  • Author: Łukasz Tomczak
  • Institution: University of Szczecin
  • ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6808-0364
  • Year of publication: 2019
  • Source: Show
  • Pages: 604-615
  • DOI Address: https://doi.org/10.15804/ppsy2019406
  • PDF: ppsy/48-4/ppsy2019406.pdf

The analysis of women’s participation in elections has long been an important theme within political studies. Scholars have looked at factors that affect women’s participation in politics in general, as well as their decisions to run in parliamentary or regional elections. In 2011, as the second Central and Eastern Europe country (the first being Slovenia), Poland introduced gender quotas into the proportional electoral system. Researchers looking into the consequences of such systemic solutions in various countries have established that the intended goal of increasing the proportion of women in legislative bodies has not always been achieved. In fact, the outcomes have varied widely. Such discrepancies invite further examination. The presented study focuses on regional assembly elections in Poland between 2010 and 2018. The article elaborates on and complements the results of the authors’ prior work on the 2010 and 2014 elections. The research looks at how effective women were in winning the available mandates, what were their placements and which parties managed to get most women into the assemblies.

gender equality Poland women’s rights regional elections

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Nonpartisan Electoral Committees in Local Government Elections in Poland in 2018

  • Author: Marcin Czyżniewski
  • Institution: Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń
  • Year of publication: 2019
  • Source: Show
  • Pages: 617-631
  • DOI Address: https://doi.org/10.15804/ppsy2019407
  • PDF: ppsy/48-4/ppsy2019407.pdf

The article presents the result of quantitative research on local government elections in Poland carried out on October 21 and November 4, 2018. Its goal is to examine the proportions of lists registered by political parties and nonpartisan electoral committees and the mandates they have obtained. This proportion shows the degree of presence of political parties in local governments of various levels and sizes. The data were selected so that all provinces in Poland were examined (16), a number of districts were randomly selected (in provinces with less than 20 districts, data from half districts were examined, in provinces with over 20 districts, from one third). Within the selected districts, all communes were examined. The quantitative research shows that local governments elected in 2018 are not political only in small and medium-sized communes, in which the councils are made up mostly of councilors who were candidates from nonpartisan committees.

local governments nonpartisan committees local elections Poland

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The Results of 2019 Parliamentary Elections in the Perspective of 2018 Local Government Elections

  • Author: Szymon Gajewski
  • Year of publication: 2019
  • Source: Show
  • Pages: 632-641
  • DOI Address: https://doi.org/10.15804/ppsy2019408
  • PDF: ppsy/48-4/ppsy2019408.pdf

The analysis of the results of the elections to regional parliaments of 2018 allows to take a closer look at the current political preferences of the electorate one year before the parliamentary elections. The distribution of support for political parties in individual provinces shows that Law and Justice (PiS) enjoys constant, high and stable support, which will most likely allow this party to extend mandate to rule the country for the next 4 years. The largest opposition party, the Civic Platform (PO), sees the chances of victory in uniting further opposition groups around itself. The common start with Nowoczesna under the name of the Citizens’ Coalition (KO) did not meet the expectations. However, the distribution of support in the local government elections showed that the actions consolidating the opposition are currently the only chance to fight a leveled electoral fight with Law and Justice (PiS).

2019 parliamentary elections 2018 local government elections Citizens’ Coalition Law and Justice Civic Platform

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Participatory Budgeting in Poland AD 2019: Expectations, Changes and Reality

  • Author: Krzysztof Makowski
  • Institution: WSB University in Toruń
  • Year of publication: 2019
  • Source: Show
  • Pages: 642-652
  • DOI Address: https://doi.org/10.15804/ppsy2019409
  • PDF: ppsy/48-4/ppsy2019409.pdf

Discussion whether to formalize participatory budgeting or not has been solved. Again, this time it has happened without scholars’ engagement. Given this situation, can we say that whoever is satisfied? The amendment of the act that introduced legal form of participatory budgeting as a new tool of public consultation does not meet anyone expectations. The reason to think so is that there is no new and compulsory form of public engagement in financial decisions. Moreover, organizational framework and the huge variety of using participatory budgeting have been turned to uniform pattern. Equally, it is hard to agree that implemented solutions, previously though as a way to increase citizens’ involvement in functioning and scrutiny part of public bodies, have been met.

financial decisions citizens self-government participatory budgeting

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The “Golden Rule” as a New Financial Management Tool for Local Governments

  • Author: Katarzyna Błażuk
  • Institution: Polish Academy of Science
  • Author: Przemysław Czernicki
  • Institution: University of Natural Sciences and Humanities in Siedlce
  • Year of publication: 2019
  • Source: Show
  • Pages: 653-662
  • DOI Address: https://doi.org/10.15804/ppsy2019410
  • PDF: ppsy/48-4/ppsy2019410.pdf

The implementation of the so-called “golden rule” regarding the fiscal management of the sub-sector of the local-self-government (LSG) constituted a reaction to the growth of the debt within the sector of public finances and an attempt to curb the LSG deficit. In this manner the Legislator wanted to balance the budget regarding operating revenues and the operating expenditures and to allow for the use of public loans, thus permitting the generation of the debt only in regard to capital expenditures. The authors of the article evaluate the validity of introducing the new regulations, subjecting the “golden rule” to a positive critique and forming requirements for changes and improvements based on solutions to this problem utilized in other countries. An empiric data is presented that shows the consequences of overloading the LSG with the effects of the growing level of public debt in a situation when the responsibility for the majority of the debt (more than 90%) rests with the public governance at the government level. The authors also put forth the thesis that the implementation of the more restrictive rules on the central level is also necessary to optimize the entire system of public finances.

golden rule deficit local government units fiscal rule limiting debt

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Committing a Crime as a Reason to Limit the Ability to Perform Functions in Local Government Administration

  • Author: Janusz Bojarski
  • Institution: Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń
  • Author: Natalia Daśko
  • Institution: Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń
  • Year of publication: 2019
  • Source: Show
  • Pages: 663-674
  • DOI Address: https://doi.org/10.15804/ppsy2019411
  • PDF: ppsy/48-4/ppsy2019411.pdf

2018 local self-government elections in Poland were special ones. Brought to light mismatching of provisions of the Electoral Code and Act on Local Self-Government Employees and attempt to use it to obtain an advantage in fight for political power caused political emotions and legal controversies. The aim of this article is presents limits imposed by criminal law on right to be elected in this type of elections and more general, role of criminal law as a tool in politics. The article presents a problem of conflict of legal regulations regarding the right to be elected and perform a public function in a local self-government unit as a problem of conflict between will of voters and attitude of politicians to creation of law and aim they try to obtain.

legal policy criminal law electoral law elections

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List of Reviewers 2019

  • Author: The Editors
  • Year of publication: 2019
  • Source: Show
  • Pages: 675-675
  • DOI Address: -
  • PDF: ppsy/48-4/ppsy20194rw.pdf

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