Abstract
Institutional changes since economic reforms were launched have transformed the implementation role of municipal governments. Using a detailed case study of Qingdao, this chapter analyzes how institutions have shaped the implementation of urban housing policies by municipal governments. Four institutional platforms characterize policy implementation by municipal governments, namely delivery, diffusion, calibration, and finalization. Meso-organizations and legal instruments are created to stimulate the participation of civil communities so that policy objectives embody the interests of the general public. Albeit it is still in its infancy, the evidence shows the emergence of innovative institutional instruments , which suggests the emergence of an inclusive model to ensure that ordinary citizens can participate in decision-making on urban housing matters.
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Notes
- 1.
Although there is no official definition of city tier in China, people reached the consensus that Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Shenzhen are clearly defined tier-1 city based on the criteria, such as population, development of services and infrastructure, and the cosmopolitan nature of the city.
- 2.
This framework was conceptualized without the inclusion of district governments in policy implementation process, as its huge number makes it difficult to generate an identifiable pattern of government behavior in the urban housing sector. Hence, this study acknowledges municipal government as the ground-level administration in urban housing governance hierarchy of China.
- 3.
Sub-provincial cities, or vice-provincial cities in the People’s Republic of China, are prefecture-level cities that are ruled by provincial governments, but administered independently (State Commission Office for Public Sector Reform 1995).
- 4.
Affordable Housing Program is a general notion and composed of four sub-programs, which are Economical Comfortable Housing, Low Rent Housing, Public Rental Housing, and Price-Capped Housing.
- 5.
The author’s request in January 2013 for access to the minutes of such closed-door meetings was declined during her field visit to the local archive and government archive offices.
- 6.
Interview with local government officer was conducted on January 31, 2013, in Qingdao, China.
- 7.
Labor unions in China are an imported concept from the West. It essentially functions as a normal department of work units, as it is financed by the state with the top management being appointed by the government.
- 8.
CPD is indeed powerful with the top editors of most newspapers and television stations who are appointed and removed directly by CPD.
- 9.
Local media are, more or less, enjoying more freedom than central in publishing what is most interesting to their consumers and likely in attempt for a larger share of the market (Tong 2010).
- 10.
The lone dissenting candidate noted that “participating in this hearing session is not only aimed at protecting my own interest, but it is also to acquire policy support for young applicants.”
- 11.
Although broad legislatures remain with the PC, municipal governments enjoy the authority to introduce their own regulations. Here, we refer here to the general notion of legislation, which consists the resolutions and decisions issued by subordinate state organs, such as county government and local People’s Congress, which actually contain elements of law.
- 12.
The first regulation legislated by local authority is The Provisional Measures of Urban Publicly-owned Houses Management in 1984.
- 13.
The Municipal Housing Security Center is a one-stop government agent that effectively manages all the matters involving affordable housing, including planning and design, project finance, construction, trade-ins, and asset management.
- 14.
For example, The Ordinance on Real Estate Development of Qingdao (Draft) was initially drafted by Qingdao Wenkang Law Firm in 2004.
- 15.
Interview was conducted on January 31, 2014, in Qingdao, China.
- 16.
Qingdao was designated as vice-provincial city in 1995 (State Commission Office for Public Sector Reform 1995).
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Zhang, M., Rasiah, R. (2015). Implementation Role of Municipal Governments. In: Institutionalization of State Policy. Dynamics of Asian Development. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-287-570-9_6
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