Multilevel Governance Flashcards
Multilevel Governance Example
Swiss Innovation Parks
Two developments have been decisive in creating Multilevel Governance
- European Integration has shifted authority in several key areas of policy making
- Regionalization in several European countries, has shifted political authority form the national level down to subnational levels of government
The term Multilevel Governance
Multilevel governance refers to the interplay of different political levels in dealing with steering and guiding functions
Not all policy making functions can be fulfilled and implemented by one single political level
At the same time all political events (European, national, regional, local) dispose over specific competencies and expertise, which qualify them for specific problems or policy fields
With this regard the different policy levels shall not be separated from each other, but the cooperation and coordination between the levels shall be improved.
Multi level governance scientific definition
Multilevel structures are given, if competencies and resources for implementing binding decisions are split between territorial delimited central and decentral organizations
Multilevel Governance vs. federalism
“While the terms of federalism or federal state are mainly equated with the separation/division of competencies between different levels of policy making, the term multilevel governance refers to the fact of political interlinkages between these levels and to the need of dealing constructively with these interdependencies”
Main premises for Multilevel Governance
Competencies for decisions making are split between different political levels and exercised by various actors
Between the different political levels interdependencies impede a clear division of the involved levels. Still, they remain always connected
MLG is characterized by the interplay of public and private actors
MLG is also characterized by institutionalized systems of rules within the specific levels, which define the framework in which the respective actors of MLG are acting
Main forms of Multilevel Governance Type 1
Type 1 General-purpose jurisdictions None-intersecting membership Jurisdictions organized on a limited numbers of wheels System-wide architecture
Main forms of Multilevel Governance Type 2
Task-specific jurisdictions
Intersecting membership
NO limits to the number of jurisdictions levels
Flexible designs
Multilevel Governance in Switzerland - Federation vs. Cantons
Recent federal reform has further strengthened the position of the cantons
o Comprehensive disentanglement of policy areas because responsibilities were blurred and the use of expenditures seemed to be inefficient
o Now four categories
1. Policy areas in the sole responsibilities of the cantons
2. Areas in the sole responsibility of the federal state
3. Areas under the regime of horizontal coordination (f.e unis)
4. Remaining concurrent areas now organized by a new governance regime
Multilevel Governance in Switzerland - Roles with NPM
o Federal government defines the general strategies in discussion with the cantons
o The cantons obtain a clearly defined contract with obligations and right for executing policies in these areas
o Control procedures are introduced
o The cantons obtain global budgets from the federal government instead of subsidies
o The cantons have the right to define their own ways to organize the implementation of the contracts
Examples MLG in Switzerland – New Regional Policy (NRP)
With the NRP both the federal government and the cantons support mountain and border regions as well as rural areas in coping with changes in economic structures. This includes improving hard and soft locational factors of a region as well as promoting innovation, the creation of value and competitiveness in a sustainable way
New Regional Policy - Federal Level
- defines the normative guidelines (federal law)
- concludes performance agreements with the cantons
- delegates the whole implementation process to the lower political levels
New Regional Policy - Cantons
- formulate strategic implementation programs
- are completely responsible for accepting the implementation projects
conclude respective performance agreements with the projects/regions - are responsible for the controlling with respect to the implemented issues as well as financial questions
New Regional Policy - Regions
- develop and accompany the concrete implementation projects
- support the regional development
- are responsible for the concretisation of the federal and cantonal strategies at the regional level
NRP MODEL
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